Oumar Camara

Oumar spent much of his childhood in the West African countries of Senegal, Guinea and Nigeria, which he describes as his “hometown”

A Belgian national born in a traditional military home, son of a U.S. war veteran. Born Oumar Truman Ajilloh Chevara Camara. I was very athletic as a kid with too much energy that made it hard for my parents to keep me grounded!

Growing up I was involved in many different sports and fitness disciplines. I started at the early age of eight (8), kicking football around the house, breaking windows and glasses. Then at twelve (12) years of age I became a junior athlete with my school team but my coach later took me off the junior athletic team, said I was too fast for boys my age so he made me join the team for fourteen (14) year olds. I was terrified because I said to myself that i will be the only little kid among them, and would definitely be the one that would get picked on, but at the same time I had a winning desire burning within me to prove am good enough to play among them.

That experience taught me many important lessons at a very early stage of my life, such as hard work ethic, self-discipline, respect for others, humility and accountability. I asked my Dad to help train me so I could be bigger and stronger, or to sign me up to a fitness club for muscle training but as a military officer my Dad had no time to train me and would not sign me up to any fitness gym because I was only twelve (12) years old and too young that no gym will accept me at that age. I was really sad and mad at everyone around me because I wanted to be stronger or even be bigger than the boys on my school athletic team.

As my desire and will to be better grew, the next four (4) years I learned to train the hard way by breaking all rules without fitness Gyms or a trainer by lifting heavy rocks, car engines, heavy truck wheels and bags of sands, looking back today i won’t advice no kid to try it, many times i had torn tendons and dislocated wrist with torn muscles but yet kept on training until I felt no more pain. I know what you are thinking right now but Yes! I was too young, too determined and stupid at that time taking all those risks but it worked out for me at the end..