Battling Kye inspires mum

THE first Geelong woman to place in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body building competition has only to look to her young son for inspiration.

Lisa Saygun quit bodybuilding six years ago and has spent the past 2½ years focusing on the health of son Kye Van Der Kuijl.

Born with half a heart, Kye, who turns three in October, was given only a 30 per cent chance of survival.

He was diagnosed with a hypo plastic left heart and other defects before birth and spent his first five months in hospital.

He has had four open-heart operations and is expected to have a heart transplant in early adulthood.

“Kye’s been my biggest inspiration. He’s had four open-heart surgeries and I thought I need to show him I can get up on that stage and compete,” Ms Saygun said.

She spent the past 12 months training for Friday’s Arnie Classic — but almost dropped out when she learned Kye needed his fifth open- heart operation a year earlier than expected.

Kye, who has been doing well, has suffered ill-health in recent months, including a 10 per cent decrease in oxygen levels. Doctors say he must have an operation not usually completed until children are at least four within the next three months or the disease could be fatal.

Ms Saygun said her son’s fighting spirit and determination had driven her to continue to compete under difficult circumstances.

“I have worked my a--- off for a year and then he became sick again, but I wanted to prove I could do it,” she said.

With close to no expectation, Ms Saygun competed against more than 200 women and placed third.

“It was like I had already been up on the stage and there I was 10 years later — it was mixed emotions,” she said.

“But I had my family there, feeling extremely proud shouting out my name — I’ve never had that before and it made me feel great.

“(Kye) was pretty excited.”