Do you remember the sweetest 6-year-old Springbok fan, who went viral for covering James Brown’s hit song, ‘I Feel Good’, at a school talent show in October? Yesterday, the talented little star got to meet his hero, World Cup champion Cheslin Kolbe, and was gifted with his World Cup winners medal.
If you live in South Africa and have been anywhere near social media recently, there’s a good chance you’ll recognize the viral video of a 6-year-old boy named Desmond Koolen, who sang his heart out to James Brown’s I Feel Good at a school talent show in September.
The video was posted to social media by Desmond’s mom, Adele, and has amassed over 14.2 million views on TikTok alone:
@actually_its_adele So proud of this boy! Performed infront of the whole jnr prep today #fyp #tiktoksouthafrica #thisismylife #momandboylife #kidperformer #adoptionjourney ♬ original sound – Adele Koolen
The young talent took SA by storm again for a second time, ahead of the Springboks claiming their World Cup victory, when he performed Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions‘ for the soon-to-be champs on Jacaranda FM’s JacaBreakfast.
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This week, Desmond had one of his biggest dreams come true when he was invited to attend an event at MultiChoice, showcasing the William Webb Ellis cup which the Springboks claimed in their World Cup victory.
There, he would go on to meet SA’s Springbok team in person, including his role model and rugby hero, Cheslin Kolbe. Naturally, it all happened on stage – where Desmond appears to be most at-ease.
SuperSport took to Instagram to post a video of Desmond addressing his hero. In the video, Desmond promptly addresses Kolbe:
“Cheslin Kolbe. You’re my favourite because you inspire me. So that’s why I want to be a pocket rocket just like you.”
The crowd claps, as Kolbe gets up from his seat and onto the stage to give Desmond a hug. Then, without hesitation, Kolbe hands over his World Cup winners medal and returns back to his seat. We’re not crying, you are!
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Later, Adele Koolen, the little champ’s mom, took to Instagram writing:
“And just like that a dream became a reality!”
“Today with the help of a village Desi not only got to meet his heroes he got to address them!”
Koolen thanks those involved in making Desi’s dream come true, including Jacaranda FM, who welcomed Desmond onto their radio show to sing for the Bokke ahead of their win.
In her post, Adele goes on to proudly address her boy, who has already gained an impressive following of over 23K on Instagram. She writes:
“@lifeaccordingtodesi I am in awe of you my boy! You took to the stage and spoke in front of at least 5000 people. Not a nerve in sight! You make us so proud! Thank you to everyone that helped make this happen, and thank you @bokrugby and Mark for giving him the stage! To all the Bokke thank you to each and everyone of you!”
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Koolen ended with an answer to a question that many fans had been wondering: Did Desmond really get to keep Kolbe’s World Cup medal? She wrote:
“And for those wondering- @cheslinkolbe did get his medal back 😝”
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SEE: Springbok ladies react to their champs winning the Rugby World Cup
Feature Image: Instagram / @adele_koolen
