Lee overcomes obstacles
Lee's dedication to his training was noticed by Vic and he decided to take him under his wing.
Against all odds, Lee Morris from Bez Valley walked away from a life of no hope.
“Drug addiction was a regular, abusive cycle I was subjected to while growing up. Witnessing drug dealers, gangsters and physical abuse was just part of life,” said Lee.
Lee described his childhood environment as a bad image of power because he was always surrounded by crime.
“My father was a dangerous man. He used to walk into a room and people would shudder. He demanded that respect from family, from friends, from strangers,” said Lee.
Lee’s life was on a path of self-destruction from an early age. By grade one he was missing school, only attending a quarter of the year.
“I still managed to pass and I used that as salvation, but that’s also when I started eating a lot and began to grow obese,” said Lee.
At the age of 13, Lee had already attempted two suicides. Lee’s father was involved in a car accident in 2006.
“The changing point for me was when my father had the accident because I realised I had to become a man. I was working hard for a scholarship at Jeppe High School for Boys because I had friends who had previously gone there and I had seen what they had become. I worked really hard and I managed to get an academic scholarship – and that was when I decided, I have to make a life for myself now,” said Lee.
Lee’s life was changing for the better. At the age of 16 he became involved in bodybuilding, after sustaining a rugby injury to his back.
“The doctor said the best thing for me would be to strengthen my body. I was still very heavy for my age and hadn’t developed the strength necessary to carry my weight, especially when it came to a gruelling contact sport. I started weight training with my uncle and watching Ronnie Coleman DVDs, and that represented power to me,” said Lee.
In 2014 Lee began training at a fitness centre in Bedfordview.
“The centre is run by Vic and Irene Alley. They are both competitive, professional athletes and coaches,” said Lee.
Lee’s dedication to his training was noticed by Vic and he decided to take him under his wing as he saw potential in him.
“Under the guidance of Vic, I began training religiously, eating healthily and ultimately, began to see positive results. Before I knew it, it was coming up to competition time and the first show was the Gauteng Provincial Championships,” said Lee.
He said he was nervous at his first competition but with Vic’s support, he got through it.
“I ended up winning the competition. It was the most shocking feeling in the world. I looked at my family and friends in the crowd and I looked at Vic and he had tears in his eyes. That’s Vic, he’s like a father to me,” he said.
Lee has also performed in the World Championship in Australia and also locally. Lee’s aim is to be a beacon of hope to others who have lost hope about ever leaving a bad situation.
“My greatest motivation is to inspire others. The trophies bring me great pride, but my biggest motivation is to help and identify with people who are depressed, who go through problems, who are in drug-fuelled and abusive homes and to help them see that they can become a powerful figure,” said Lee.
