|Newark Life Q&A|
Dwayne Adams, Founder Founde Director, Breaking Barrie The story of Dwayne Adams is the story of resilience. Severely injured by a stray bullet in 1998, Adams overcame the harrowing experience to become a world champion rower, and in 2005, he began Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness, which has been in Newark for the past three years. Recently, Newark Life sat down with Adams to discuss the tragedy that he went through, his refusal to let it defeat him and the organization he operates to set others on a pathway of self-growth. Newark Life: Your first fell in love with rowing when
you saw it on television, during an Olympic broadcast in the 1980s. Describe what you saw, and what was going through your mind at the time. Adams: While I knew that the Olympics occurred every four years, I can’t say that I watched it avidly. One night, however, I was glancing at a track and field event, when suddenly, it was interrupted by a rowing event. What is this? I thought. The broadcasters were introducing the participating countries, and all of a sudden, the race begins, and I am on the edge of my seat and I am moving with the rowers in their boats. I could feel myself getting revved up and I could Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Dwayne Adams, left, executive director of Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness, with trainer Joshua Wilson and member Courtney Everett.
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Newark Life | Spring/Summer 2022 | www.newarklifemagazine.com
