SCHOOL DAYS were difficult for Drexel Joseph while he was in the classroom. But it was a different story when he went outside.
Joseph, of San Fernando, struggled academically, not knowing he had a learning disability. He was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was 14.
"Back then it was very hard," he told Newsday. "Sometimes I would see words in a certain way, and I was always slower than the others in class."
He said most times, before he was close to finishing writing the notes that were written on the blackboard, his teachers would have erased everything and moved on to something else.
"I found myself being better at practical things than writing."
"I grew up battling dyslexia and not being able to pass the Common Entrance exam.
"When I was in primary school there were not many programmes for people like me, and I didn't come very high in test. It was very tough."
His parents sent him to the Lady Hochoy Centre, in Cocorite which provides care and education for children with special needs. He was later moved to a remedial school and then to the National Centre for Persons with Disabilities.
"I did woodwork there and I graduated with an award in sport."
Now 44, Joseph has won many medals competing in the Special Olympics Trinidad and Tobago National Games – an event that provides sporting opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.
"I started off in Special Olympics in 1996, participating in sports such as floor hockey and football. I got medals in two international competitions – one gold for football and one bronze for floor hockey.
"But then I decided to step down from football and do powerlifting. You know, as I got older I decided to give young fellas a chance," he said with a chuckle.
Powerlifting helped him build his strength and confidence – something he lacked as a child and teenager because of his disability.
Joseph, a Massy Store warehouse attendant, said powerlifting helped him view the challenges in life from a different perspective. Now he looks at every challenge as a learning experience.
"I don't allow things to be a hurdle, I treat every obstacle as I do weights. I push through obstacles and the more I push through, is the more I gain in confidence and strength."
This mindset has led to him many wins in competition and in life in general.
"In 2017, I won two bronze and one silver at national level...In 2018 and 2019, I won two gold and one silver medal."
He said in 2020 the covid19 pandemic brought everything to a standstill, shuttering gyms, so no formal training was available.
"But I used things around me to better myself and to build strength.
"After covid, I went back to training. When the competition restarted, we were put into weight classes. I went up against two international athletes and one newcomer and I won three bronze medals overall at the national level.
"This year I participated again and won three gold medals."
At work, he said, he may sometimes run into difficulty when it comes to the numbers.
"Sometimes when I do stocktaking
