Lewis Hamilton's father and then-manager, Anthony Hamilton, celebrates with his son after the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix. Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London, on January 7, 1985. His father is black and his mother is white. Anthony Hamilton had a string of arrests throughout Lewis's childhood for drugs offences and assault. He served nine months in prison in Britain for supplying cocaine. Upon his release, he got help from a rehabilitation clinic and now claims to be drug free. He also claims to have turned his life around so much that he has been accepted into coaching courses at British Gymnastics and Stoke City Football Club. Hamilton's mother, Janette, now lives in South Africa where she works as a security guard. She met her husband while they were both students at East London College. They married in 1989 and divorced two years later. She has never married again and says she is "single". Janette Hamilton gave birth to Lewis when she was only 16 years old. She says she "gave in" to her boyfriend's demands because he could be very violent if she refused to do as he asked. She admits that using drugs during her pregnancy was wrong but says she did it because she needed the money.