Meet Nixlot Dameus.
Meet Nixlot Dameus.Bullying has been a big issue in the US schooling system for some time now. With more and more effort being placed on the education system to find ways to prevent bullying and ultimately save lives.
For one teen, bodybuilding was the answer.
Here’s an inspiring little story about how bodybuilding helped one teen find help and sanctuary from aggressive bullies. Newsworks recently did a write up about Nixlot Dameus – a 16 year old teen who transformed his body, and life, with bodybuilding in order to ward off bullies. Not through violence but through confidence and responsibility.
Nixlot was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and moved to the United States seven years ago. But the transition was not an easy one. Though he slowly learned English by watching PBS Kids for hours – he still found himself being bullied for being different.
“Chief among his being-bullied memories was the time he got jumped for wearing a Lawncrest youth-sports shirt while walking through shopping plaza in Olney. ‘There was a whole bunch of them,’ he recounted… ‘I got away from the first group, but eight of them, they got me. To this day, my parents still don’t know about that.'”
Courtesy of Newsworks
It was this moment that changed Nixlot’s future. He decided that something needed to change and maybe if he grew stronger the bullying would stop. He dedicated himself to weightlifting and bodybuilding – transforming himself into someone you would be hard pressed to peg as a 16 year old.
The confidence he gained from building muscle allowed him to subvert being bullied. And it didn’t hurt that he was able to let his anger out as he pushed hard at the gym. He never used his new found strength to bully back at the kids who picked on him, instead he found a way to respond positively to the violence and is now setting an example for others.
Nixlot won the 2013 Mr. Philadelphia Junior Teen Title and has raised money to start a “Summer Superman Camp” for teens in Philadelphia. A place to positively motivate and train together in a community.
Bodybuilding often gets a bad wrap in the mainstream media. Focusing on negative stereotypes associated with muscle-heads and the perceived violent mindset in weightlifting. So it’s great to see the youth community rise up and show the world that there’s more to bodybuilding than that. There’s motivation, confidence, and a way to actually promote peace – and stop bullying.
You can check out the full Newsworks article here. And be sure to tell us what you think in the comments section below! If you liked this story, be sure to stop by our Facebook and Twitter too. Stay pumped.
