19 year old Caleb Mutombo, was born in The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He was born with sickle-cell anaemia, which is accompanied by physical disabilities, and which affected his arms, legs, hands and shoulders. When he was two years old, his parents brought him to South Africa in search of medical assistance. Caleb’s sister, was a match to donate blood to him, thus saving his life.
When Caleb was young he started lifting objects and building his muscles because he could not participate in other sports . He body-builds because it gives him a sense of belonging and he feels that it is his way of inspiring both those with and without disabilities. His trainer, Ryan Manthe of Trinergy Health and Fitness Centre, was inspired to help him after seeing him get up on stage with other bodybuilders at a local competition . Manthe is training Caleb to be a personal trainer, a qualification that he feels might give him a steady income.
Manthe prepared Caleb to compete in the under 68 inch, under 23, Junior Bodybuilding Category in The Summer Superbodies Competition in Johannesburg. Caleb, who weighed 81 lbs, came third out of three competitors, but still regards his participation as a victory.
