Don’t miss this inspiring story of redemption, improvement and hope
Drugs, an issue that transcends borders and affects people of all ages and profiles. Addictions can have a devastating impact on a person’s life.
Drug use can deteriorate family relationships and friendships, break trust and cause pain to those around us. Drug dependence is a form of slavery, the constant pursuit of the substance can lead to loss of employment, relationships, and stability.
In the world of boxing, Juan Antonio Nazario reached the top by winning the world lightweight championship. However, after his sporting glory, his life fell into the world of drugs. In this article, Juan Antonio Nazario shares his experience of struggle and pain when trying to get out of the clutches of drugs. Finally, he tells us how faith in God became the fundamental pillar for his transformation and restoration. This is his story:
“I am Juan Antonio Nazario, Puerto Rican, I won the world boxing championship, at lightweight, in Madison Square Garden in New York in 1990. In the following years, parallel to my life in sports, I began to use different types. of drugs, which brought me to the point of losing my family, marriage, destroying my career as a professional in sports, I tried to get ahead in three help centers for people with addictions, but it was impossible to do so.
They were years of destroying my life. I was alone, in Los Angeles or Texas, I tried to work, but I always returned to the same thing, lower and lower, to the point of sleeping under bridges, attempting suicide, etc., without hope or future. Until one day, tired of everything, a young man who had been rehabilitated at the Remar Organization in the city of Austin, Texas, told me about them, that he could at least recover me a little; That’s how, walking, I arrived at César Chávez Street where they welcomed me and took me to a ranch, where I showered after many days, they gave me clothes, food and much-needed rest after a long time on the streets.
There I began a new life, and with patience, seeing the example that the workers gave me, I felt the desire to live again, I gained courage, I began to read the Bible, to talk to God as they did. I listened to the young man who spoke to me about God and how only He had helped him, so I considered searching for Him with all my Heart, thus, little by little, with effort, daily work and as many experiences as I was able to live there, I managed to get out of that world. so terrible, with the help of God.
Almost many years have passed, I currently live in the city of Miami, I understood that I should not continue wasting my life, helping others as I was helped, it seemed like the best job, that is why I am still here, I want to give grace to what a day I received of grace. I live within the organization, and I am currently the director of Remar Miami, where I met my current wife and together we work helping people with addictions, especially young people. I can serve the community with the moving company, a dignified job that generates funds to support our relief houses.
God is great, I experience his help every day, Remar is the place that welcomed me and continues to help hundreds of people in the United States to this day. In fact, the authorities, after observing our work towards people in need in Florida for 18 years, have given us a recognition, called Proclamation, which declares February 14, a day dedicated to ROWING MIAMI.
Our commitment and dedication were recognized by authorities in Washington DC on June 15, 2023, when we were awarded recognition for our work as community leaders at Remar USA, Inc., in Miami and throughout the state of Florida. Along with Pastor Ángel Jiménez, Executive Director of REMAR in the USA, my wife Mayra and I were honored with this recognition, a testament to the lasting impact that Remar has had on the community for almost 30 years.
Juan Antonio Nazario’s experiences remind us of the harsh reality that so many people trapped in drugs face. But they also teach us that, no matter how deep the abyss, there is always a way out, an outstretched hand willing to help.
Rowing: 40 years fighting addictions in 70 countries
For more than 40 years, the NGO REMAR has dedicated its work to fighting addictions and providing support to people in vulnerable situations. Their work, based on Christian faith and social action, spans 70 countries around the world, transforming lives and offering hope to thousands of people.
More than an organization, a family
Remar not only offers a space for shelter and recovery for people with addictions, but also becomes a family for those who have lost theirs. Through its shelters, rehabilitation and social reintegration programs, Remar seeks to restore people’s dignity and provide them with the necessary tools to build a new life free of drugs.
Has the story of Juan Antonio Nazario inspired you?
You can also be part of the fight against addictions. Remar needs your support to continue transforming lives. You can collaborate in different ways:
- Become a member: Your regular donation will allow Remar to continue providing assistance to thousands of people around the world.
- Volunteering: Offer your time and skills to collaborate in the different Remar programs.
- Spread the message: Share information about Remar’s work on your social networks and with your friends and family.
- If you are struggling with addiction, seek help, remember: It is never too late to start again. The story of Juan Antonio Nazario is an example that redemption and transformation are possible.
Together we can build a future free of addictions.
