When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. That's the story of Durban martial arts champion Videshal Singh who was told he would never walk again.
Today, he trains youth on kick boxing, martial arts and offers free training to underprivileged youth.
"Never say never. I hurt my back and was paralysed, told I would never box again. Those words were enough to get me out of bed, determined to turn my life around," explains Singh to IOL.
Today he is thriving as his business, Vidz Boxing & Training Centre in Umhlanga produces champions among young people with its training in boxing and martial arts.
It all began in a garage, where he started offering classes to young people.
"Growing up, I loved sports and was always fascinated with boxing but did not have opportunities to gyms or coaches. As an adult I never forgot that feeling which is why I wanted to give young people that opportunity.
“I wanted to provide them with skills to empower them for life which didn’t come down to affordability. Having spent more than 12 years as a personal trainer at Virgin Active and time abroad training in kickboxing I wanted to go beyond. I wanted to take it to the next level and eventually the garage became too small so I found space in Umhlanga. I was nervous as the rent was much more," adds Singh.
The gamble paid off, and today Singh continues his business with the same promise to empower youth and produce champions.
The modest owner remains humble, despite his gym now drawing famous locals who admire his resilience and give back spirit.
"I could have given up when I hurt my back. And again when I was involved in a serious motorbike accident, but I realised the power of the mind to overcome obstacles.
“Today I harness that power in my training which makes us stand out. Its not just about training, it's using the power of your mind to control your body. We call it functional training because of the proven benefits. With an emphasis on mobility, strength, and conditioning, the benefits of functional training differ from other workouts because of the way it targets your body," added Singh.
It's working, and it's a feel good story about resilience, mind over body, tenacity and passion for giving back.
That's what real champions are made of.