Justin is a student at MCAST currently reading for an extended Diploma in Health and Social Studies. He is a trekker and open water swimmer with the Birkirkara St Joseph Club, but also finds time for drama lessons and performances. He is mad about classic musicals such as Mary Poppins and Fiddler on the Roof. He also has a learning disability.
I first met Justin a few months ago during a workshop for Opening Doors – a theatre group for people with learning disabilities which has been operating for the past six years. Justin was one of the newest members of the group but he fit in as if he had been there all his life.
An intelligent and passionate young man, Justin is determined to do well in whatever he decides to take up.
"My classmates at MCAST – especially my two closest friends there – give me a lot of courage and inspiration. They believe in me and I am accepted by everyone there. It means a lot to me that they are my friends," he says.
As for Opening Doors, Justin states that the group is “wonderful”. "Drama was always in my blood. Most of my family members are in the local music scene. At Opening Doors, they give me the chance to express my talent and show everyone what I am capable of," he smiles. "I also enjoy going to the Youthreach Centre in Attard, which I have been attending for the past four years."
When Justin is not studying or acting, he can usually be found practicing the other loves of his life – swimming and trekking. "I have been open-water swimming since I was 18-years-old. I enjoy it very much because I like the challenge. I wanted to prove to myself and to society that I could it," he says.
"I started trekking last year and this year I did the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain. Here in Malta, I train every Sunday. Trekking has given me even more faith in my ability and determination to succeed in what I do."
Justin credits people such as Lou Ghirlando from Opening Doors, Mario Scerri and Kim Agius from Experience: Adventures and More trekking group, everyone at the Autism Parents Association, and of course, his very supportive family and friends for helping him to realise that there are no limits to what he can do.
Another beacon in his life is football manager José Mourhino. Justin is a big Chelsea football fan and he holds their manager in great esteem because he is a self-made man who relied on his talent to get him where he is today.
Justin’s ultimate aim is to show people that people should not be 'afraid' of people with learning disabilities. "A lot of people don’t understand what we are all about, and so they push us away and they exclude us from things”, he says. "I want everyone to know what we are capable of."
Justin's next artistic venture is to part in a performance organised by Opening Doors at St James Cavalier’s theatre-in-the-round on the 16, 17 and 18 May. The performance will be open to the public. More information can be obtained via www.sjcav.org.