“I’m pleased with my profession, that I can make a difference, you know, I have been for many years.”
Everton Smith was born in February 1962 in St Woolos Hospital. Everton grew up in Pill and moved to Gaer Vale in the summer of 1973, just after the passing of his father and his eleventh birthday.
“I was born in Pill, grown up in Pill… We lived at the time in 12 Lewis Street, which is no longer there.”
“My mum’s a very strict devoted Christian, so obviously, church was every Sunday, twice in a morning and in the evening…”
“When I found challenges and circumstances, I was able to be a bit stronger, because of that upbringing, so at the time I didn’t appreciate, but later on I did.”
“Generally, there was a lot of discrimination, a lot of prejudice…”
“I’ve got a business, Newport City Martial Arts. I started doing martial arts when I was seventeen, so I’ve been doing it forty odd years…”
“I teach personal development, alongside fitness and martial arts.”
“My parents come here with not a lot… in two years, I’ll own that building in town, so it’s a pretty good achievement… I’ve ended up probably one of the first West Indians people to own a building in the middle of town, so I feel pretty pleased about that.”
“For the older West Indian guys, once a week they can come to my gym and I can teach them a bit of tai chi or a bit of just posture…”
“Rwy’n fodlon gyda fy mhroffesiwn, fy mod i’n gallu gwneud gwahaniaeth, wyddoch chi, rwyf wedi bod ers blynyddoedd.”
Ganed Everton Smith yn Chwefror 1962 yn ysbyty St Woolos. Tyfodd i fyny yn Pill a symudodd i Gaer Vale yn haf 1973, yn fuan wedi marwolaeth ei dad a’i ben-blwydd yn un mlwydd ar ddeg.
“Fe’m ganed yn Pill, tyfais i fyny yn Pill... roedden ni’n byw yn 12 Lewis Street ar y pryd, dyw’r fan honno ddim yn sefyll bellach.”
“Mae fy mam yn Gristion ffyddlon a chaeth, felly yn amlwg, roedden ni’n mynd i’r eglwys bob dydd Sul, ddwywaith yn y bore ac yna gyda’r nos...”
“Pan ddois i ar draws heriau ac amgylchiadau, roeddwn i’n gallu bod ychydig yn gryfach, oherwydd y fagwraeth honno, felly er nad oeddwn i’n ei werthfawrogi ar y pryd, fe oeddwn i yn nes ymlaen.”
“Yn gyffredinol, roedd yna lawer o wahaniaethu, llawer o ragfarn...”
“Mae gen i fusnes, Newport City Martial Arts. Fe ddechreuais i wneu crefft ymladd pan roeddwn i’n ddwy ar bymtheg oed, felly rwy’ wedi bod wrthi ers tua deugain mlynedd...”
“Rwy’n dysgu datblygiad personol, law yn llaw â ffitrwydd a chrefft ymladd.”
“Daeth fy rhieni yma heb fawr ddim... mewn dwy flynedd, fi fydd piau’r adeilad yna yn y dref, felly mae’n dipyn o gamp... mae’n debyg mai fi yw un o’r bob gyntaf o India’r Gorllewin i fod yn berchen adeilad yng nghanol y dref, felly rwy’n eithaf balch o hynny.”
“I’r dynion hŷn o India’r Gorllewin, unwaith yr wythnos maen nhw’n cael dod i fy nghampfa ac rwy’n gallu dysgu ychydig o tai chi iddyn nhw, neu hyd yn oed ychydig ar ystum corff da...”
“Pe bawn wedi fy ngeni yn Lloegr, fuaswn i ddim wedi cyflawni cymaint â hyn.”