Dream of becoming a bodybuilder at less than 40kg

He weighs less than 40kg, but has big dreams to one day open his own gym and become a bodybuilder.

Caleb Mutombo (19) lives at Kids Haven and attends Belvedere School but does not live the life of a normal school-going pupil. He also owns his own clothing brand and, despite his disability, has dreams of becoming a body builder and owning his own gym.

Caleb Mutombo (19), who lives at Kids Haven, was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with a sickle-cell disease (SCD), the most common type of which is known as sickle-cell anaemia (SCA).

As a result, Mutombo has a few physical disabilities affecting his legs, arms, shoulders and hands.

When he turned two years old, his parents, grandmother and younger brother brought him and his elder brother, Kalala Tsihbangu, to South Africa, in search of medical assistance.

“My brother Kalala and I were born with SCA,” Mutombo said.

“My sister, Jemima Muside, was a match to donate blood to me, but not a match for my brother.”

Due to several complications, Caleb and Kalala’s parents had to return to the DRC and left the boys in the care of their grandmother and younger brother.

However, Caleb’s grandfather died, so his grandmother and younger brother returned to the DRC and left them in the hands of his sister, Betty Kubama.

“During the few years that she took care of us, I would put books in my school bag and use it as weights,” Mutombo said.

“My sister took care of us from 2006, but in 2011 she got married and moved to Cape Town, so we went to Kids Haven.”

Kalala died in 2014 and Mutombo’s family was not in South Africa, but this did not stop the youngster from aiming for his dreams.

“When I moved to Kids Haven, in Mackenzie Park, in 2011, they had a gymnasium which I could not use until I turned 16 years old,” Mutombo said.

“When I turned 16, I entered the gym and without any guidance I started working on my chest.”

Caleb Mutombo with his own clothing line’s cap and T-shirt.

Tigwan demo gym jacket designed by Caleb Mutombo who wants to add a new angle to gym wear.

Caleb Mutombo can curl 10kg.

My teacher at Belvedere School, Natasha Breed, encouraged me to watch videos and read Facebook pages about bodybuilding, which I did.

And this was just the beginning for the youngster, who now wants to launch his own clothing line called Tigwan, and teach others how to bodybuild.

“I want to own my own gym in about 10 years,” Mutombo said.

“I also looked for gym kits, but did not like the style of the kits in the sports shops, so I have designed my own kit.”

Mutombo, who’s currently juggling school work, designing his own clothes and training himself, is looking for a gym partner.

“I would really like someone who can train with me and help me to bodybuild, they are welcome to train at Kids Haven,” Mutombo said.

“I also need funding to start producing more than just the demos of my gym wear.

“If anyone is interested in helping me to make my dreams come true, I would appreciate it.”