Dirt poor and in a foreign country, 10-year-old Paul Kamanga used his fists to take his hurt and anger out on others.
His family were despised immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo; 10 of them living first in a garage, then on the hospitality of church members.
His faith carried him through years of grinding poverty and he learned what true humanity really meant.
He realised that one should never judge people by their outward appearance, and compassion began to blossom in him. When he was 15 years old he walked into a boxing gym and his life turned around.
Through discipline, hard work and applying the principles of his faith he was able to turn professional while still in metric.
Four years later, in 2015, he won both the All Africa Super Lightweight Championship and the Pan African WBA Welterweight championship. Now at the age of 22, he pours his own life wisdom into the youngsters he coaches, passing on what Rocky Balboa taught him: life will knock you down, but you lose only if you don’t get up.
He encourages them to decide where they want to go, and to press through until they reach their goal.
Find Kamanga on Twitter: @KamangaBoxing
