One day, Macethandile “Max” Kulati woke up and found that he could not walk. A failed back operation had left him paralysed.
The previously able-bodied man from Eastern Cape, South Africa, said that he thought his life was over. “Little did I know God was preparing me for a better life and journey,” he says.
Max says he was “stuck in a dark place after the surgery. I just wanted to be left alone and die, but God had other plans." Through what he views as divine intervention, he met an occupational therapist who helped to find him a wheelchair.
Wheelchairs that can correctly accommodate someone of his taller-than-average height are hard to come by. But LDS Charities, part of the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had set up a programme at Max’s local clinic -- Uitenhage Provincial Hospital -- providing free wheelchairs to the needy and training therapists to correctly fit them to users.
Macethandile-Max-Kulati-at-the-International-Bodybuilding--Fitness-Federation-World-Championship-in-Slovenia,-where-he-was-crowned-the-World-Champion-in-June.
Macethandile “Max” Kulati at the International Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation World Championship in Slovenia, where he was crowned the World Champion in June.© 2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.“What I can truly say is God sent the LDS wheelchair my way while I was struggling even to get a wheelchair after the surgery because of my height,” said Max.
Fast forward eight years from when he was rendered disabled, and this single father of three from an impoverished informal settlement of Moeggesukkel was recently crowned the World Champion at an International Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation World Championship in Slovenia.
Max, who represented South Africa at the championships, is the first wheelchair-bound bodybuilder from Africa to win the title. Before he went to compete in Slovenia, he won several other titles in South Africa.
For Max, the journey has been a miraculous one.
“Before surgery I was an alcoholic,” he said. “I did not believe in God. My mother used to bribe me with money for alcohol just to go to church, even if it was just for a few hours.” If it was not for his failed surgery, says Max, “I would have been dead by now.”
Macethandile-Max-Kulati-at-the-International-Bodybuilding--Fitness-Federation-World-Championship-in-Slovenia,-where-he-was-crowned-the-World-Champion-in-June.
Macethandile “Max” Kulati at the International Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation World Championship in Slovenia, where he was crowned the World Champion in June.2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.“When God changed my life, he firstly removed me from the toxic friendships and relationships I had and He [God] introduced me to God-fearing men who prayed with and for me, and helped me navigate out of dark place I was in,” he continues.
And having access to a well-fitting wheelchair gave him the mobility he needed to start training as a bodybuilder.
“When I received the wheelchair, it was a perfect fit, it was comfortable, it was superb. It was nice and small and I can use public transport with it without any hassle,” he says.
“I call it my Jesus Christ wheelchair because of the sticker at the back and because it enabled me to start powerlifting. Today I am a bodybuilder champ, and God blessed me and he continues to bless me because he brought LDS Charities into my life,” says Max.
Latter-day Saint Charities works to improve mobility, health, and the educational and economic opportunities for people with physical disabilities.
The program also organizes volunteers to train local organizations to assess individual needs and select and fit appropriate wheelchairs, trains individuals and caregivers, and provides support for repair and maintenance.
“I would like to thank all those who played a part in my life and especially the LDS church through their charities with a wheelchair,” says Max. “I am more grateful to the church for giving us, people with disability, hope and love.”