Michiko Araki
When you see Rolly Lumbala on the field, you see a menacing player standing at 6’2”and 245 pounds: eyes burning with intensity, hungry for the ball, and focused on the play at hand. As a fullback playing one of the most physically demanding positions on the field, his teammates place a lot of trust in him to deliver, and he’s always been up for the challenge.
“I have to say, just mental toughness, I’ve developed a whole lot,” he admits. “In my first year, I used to think, ‘man, this is such a long season.’ There’s a lot of stress, a lot of anticipation. I’ve come to just take it one week at a time, one day at a time.”
His hardworking yet laid-back vibe acquired over the years is what’s gotten him to enjoy a lengthy career with the Lions. His demeanor has not only helped him contribute on the field, but also win the trust and camaraderie of fellow teammates as well.
“Enjoy the whole process,” says Lumbala about loving every season as much as the last. “Being comfortable just being who I am, which is someone who works hard – I don’t have to be vocal all of the time, but I like to lead by example.”
Although he plays his position with ease, life outside of football wasn’t always easy for him growing up. Afterfrom Gabon at a young age, Lumbala and his familt settled in Montreal to an entirely new culture, a lifetime away from what they had known at home.
“In Africa, we had a great house,” he reminisces. “We had maids, chauffers – life was good and easy. For my parents to leave everything – they both had PhDs – it was a big adjustment.” Lumbala and his family found the switch to western life not as easy as they had anticipated. “It was a culture shock. The weather, the food, the people. Everything was different.”
The challenges they faced back then are always fresh in his mind and keep him motivated to succeed, not only for himself, but for his parents who sacrificed so much for him and his siblings to have a life in Canada.
“That’s always been something that I’ve had in mind that, you know, if they’ve done this amazing sacrifice, I have to own up to it and I have to prove to them that it was worth it, that it’s been worth their while,” he explains.
Now entering his eighth season with the Lions, it’s clear that Lumbala has taken this to heart. Talking to him, it’s clear that inside that tough exterior, there’s a genuinely caring and extremely charismatic individual. Off the field, he’s anything but the persona he portrays.
“You know, there’s a time and a place for everything,” he laughs. “A lot of people don’t really recognize the person I am on the field. But you know, there’s a time when you put on that superhero armour and you just gotta go. Especially at my position, it’s a very physical position – being a fullback, you’re asked to hit a lot and protect people.”
Although he may be intimidating to the opposition, he does a complete 180 when he is off of the field. Lumbala is highly involved in the community, especially with the BC Lions’ Be More than a Bystander program which promotes ending the silence on violence against women. When he isn’t out and about visiting local schools and speaking to youth, he also volunteers as a coach with the Cloverdale Cougars, a Junior Bantam community football team.
“Our responsibility is to give back. We’ve had people in our lives that have set us straight and guided us and given us advice,” he explains. “That’s my way of paying it forward. Being able to coach those kids and share some knowledge, it’s a lot of fun. It can definitely be challenging, because kids will be kids, but it’s always a lot of fun. As much as they think I’m giving to them, you know, every time I might have a long day and we have practice and I have to coach, I’m thinking, ‘oh man we have practice’, but I always end up with a smile on my face at the end of the day.”
His love for community involvement and working with others also has him working on different endeavors off the field, including running a strength & conditioning program across the Lower Mainland called Lumbala Strong. He admits it wasn’t easy at first, only having a couple of clients at his classes in the beginning. Now, looking back, he’s seen a lot of growth in the classes and most importantly, in his clients.
“I’ve had a lot of body transformation from my clients, which has been so cool to see. For them to come in in the morning, that’s the most rewarding thing to me to be honest. In the beginning, I used to only get two clients (per class) – it’s been cool to see it grow.”
His continuous investment in the community in which he plays has been most rewarding for him. “Hard work through humility, that’s how I live my life,” he explains with a smile. This humble, positive attitude is something that shines bright for him on and off the field.