Tough-guy Jayson trades drugs for prayer
One ex-gangster and drug dealer is turning his life around, writes Alice Peacock.
FOUR years ago, Jayson Koloamatangi-Rogers was a fighter, a gangster and a full-time methamphetamine dealer.
Answering the call to head along to a free kickboxing class, he only had one goal in mind.
‘‘To perfect my street fighting skills so I could become more lethal.’’
The 34-year-old fell into drugs around the age of 12, joined a gang soon after, and got into all types of crime from breaking into buildings to ‘‘hard core car theft’’.
Things escalated pretty quickly from there and Koloamatangi-Rogers developed a reputation to keep up.
‘‘I had no intention of changing, which is why I had created such a strong name for myself’’ Koloamatangi-Rogers says. ’’The drugs and the gangs... that was going to be my lifestyle for the rest of my life.’’
A lot has changed since 2012 when Koloamatangi-Rogers went along to that first kickboxing class, which he would later find out was a Christian outreach programme run by Andrew Hoeflich’s Solid Community SA.
The group, or ministry, holds a session twice weekly at the Manurewa Marlins Rugby League & Sports Club, where the group train in kickboxing, pray and discuss everything from domestic violence and depression to budgeting.
The meetings became a weekly routine for KoloamatangiRogers , while he continued on with his underground drug business, until two years later when something clicked.
Today marks KoloamatangiRogers and partner and Kristal’s two years of getting clean - as well as 20 years of being a couple.
He and partner Kristal are due to give birth to their seventh child later this year.
Koloamatangi-Rogers says introducing his children to God had been a culture shock, as he had been the one ‘‘leading them down the path of destruction’’.
‘‘We’d see police helicopters fly over and all I’d say was one, two three... and we’d all poke our middle fingers up to the helicopter.’’
Andrew Hoeflich, founder of , says he didn’t learn about Jayson’s background until he had been attending the group for several months.
’’When I see guys that are looking staunch, I think that maybe they need what I got - and that’s God.’’
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While Koloamatangi-Rogers is a converted Christian, faith isn’t necessary to be a part of the group.
Kristal said their family life, including her and KoloamatangiRogers’ relationship with her family, has improved.
Her parents had given her an ultimatum several years beforehand - to pick them, or Rogers - and she had chosen him.
As a result, she hadn’t spoken to her parents in seven years.
They have now been reunited with their family, who helped them celebrate their family baptism several weeks ago.
’’You couldn’t pay us a million dollars to go back to where we were,’’ Kristal says.