ADAM’S STORY
Early Life
Adam Olaore was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 2002 where he stayed until he was six when his family moved to London. There he continued his early education, finishing primary school and starting secondary school in south London. As a youngster Adam was always busy and this hyperactivity led him naturally to sport where he started to play football and tennis.
A Move North
In 2014 when he was 12, Adam and his family moved north to Newcastle for a more affordable and slightly quieter life. He started at Marden High School in Cullercoats where he studied for his GCSEs. During his time at school Adam’s competitive spirit continued to grow as he tried different sports including rugby, athletics and cross country. Increasing teenage boredom only fuelled his passion for sport, competition and particularly winning.
Finding Boxing
At around the age of 14 Adam and a friend spotted a boxing gym near his house at which he entered the ring for the first time and made - what have turned out to be - lifelong friends. From the very first boxing session he was hooked. Within a year Adam entered and won his first fight in a white-collar boxing fight and so the seed was sown. During the next 12 months he continued to compete in white-collar fights before his coach took Adam to an amateur boxing gym competition at which he also competed and won, aged just 15.
Enter Coach Richie Stoneham
At aged 16 Adam found a new amateur boxing gym, Howdon Boxing Academy, near his home. Here he met his current coach and mentor Richard Stoneham. Now with Richie and in Adam’s first full season as an amateur boxer, he competed in 12 fights and became a national finalist twice. At the end of that season Adam moved to Empire School of Boxing in Blyth which gave Adam his first regular sparring, lessons and a gym for training. As a result of this new regime, and six months later, Adam won his first youth national championship at just 17 years old.
Covid Momentum
The Covid lockdowns of 2020 presented unexpected challenges for Adam. Not only did it stop all competitions head on but also any time in the gym. Keeping fit remained a priority and so Richie started a tough training regime outside in a local park with other boxers – all of course in line with appropriate guidelines at the time.
Increased Cruiserweight Strength
In 2021 Adam entered the senior national championships with newfound power from his new Olympic weightlifting coach Josh Mosavi. He made it through to the quarterfinals and in the process took the decision to move up to cruiserweight (86kg). As a result, he made it to the semifinals of the 2022 national championships.
A Milestone Year in 2023
2023 was when it all started to dramatically – and positively - change for Adam. He kicked off with winning the senior English National Amateur Championships, adding his name to a long list of greats including Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams. Within a month Adam then went on to win the GB three nations championships.
During this time his dream of competing at the Olympics became a step closer, as without a British passport he took the decision to be considered by his birth nation, Nigeria. Following two weeks intensive training and sparring in Lagos he earnt his place in the African Games at which winning gold was a requirement for the Olympic qualifiers. Adding to the already significant challenge, Adam’s existing weight category was removed from the Olympics, so he was forced up to heavyweight (86-92kg).
Despite being not only the youngest and least experienced competitor, unknown Adam Olaore went on to win gold after beating Cameroon, Kenya and Senegal. This performance only confirmed Team Nigeria’s decision to send him to the Olympic qualifiers in Senegal. Adam then proceeded to triumph over Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Morocco and Algeria to win the African Olympic qualifiers and secure his place in the 2024 Olympic Games.
An Olympic Year Ahead
And so, Adam’s pre-Olympic run up officially begins and it’s going well. He’s just competed at the World Boxing Championships in Sheffield and has three more serious competitions before the Olympics: 13th African Games, Ghana; World Boxing Cup, USA and the World Boxing Challenge, Netherlands.