SA’s ‘I Feel Good’ kid Desmond “Desi” Koolen took his charm and talent to the global stage of the World Championships of Performing Arts, bringing home six medals and two division champion titles for South Africa!
Johannesburg, South Africa (29 July 2026) – After clinching several gold medals at the South African Championships of Performing Arts, Desmond “Desi” Koolen qualified to represent SA at the World Championships in Las Vegas from 13 to 21 July.
While he has qualified every year since 2023, this was his first time attending – and he certainly made it count!
Widely known as the “I Feel Good” kid, the adorable South African brought his lovable charm and talent to the global stage. Competing in the 8–10 age division across acting, singing, and modelling, Desi delivered one showstopping performance after another.
His mom, Adele Koolen, tells us that preparation included many hours with his vocal and drama coaches, choosing the right songs and cuts to showcase his voice at its best, and perfecting his acting skills without making it look rehearsed or fake.
“The experience as a whole was very exciting and daunting at the same time. Competition was much more intense than what he has experienced at SA’s, as the competition works differently,” explains Adele.
On the global stage, boys and girls had to compete together in the same category, with about 15-20 competitors per genre in the vocals category. This experience proved an eye-opener for Desi, especially seeing the calibre of talent out there.
“The competition was especially strong from Thailand, Philippines and Romania. However, he held his own and even medalled.”
Desi received the following results from the competition:
Gold medals
- 1 x Swimwear Modelling
- 1 x Spokesmodeling
Silver medals
- 1 x Acting for TV
- 1 x Acting Classical
- 1 x Acting Open
Bronze medal
- 1 x Vocal Contemporary
Overall category awards
- 1 x Swimwear Modelling
- 1 x Spokes modelling
All in all, Desi shone bright and loved his time in Las Vegas. Off stage, he got to experience the world from a different cultural lens and connected with peers from across the world.
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“Just to be able to compete on the international stage is already such an accomplishment. For him to have come back with six medals and two division champion awards blew us away. He put in so much effort and work to get there, and although he would have liked to have achieved even better results, he is very proud of himself and already talking about going back.”
With a voice that commands and a stage presence that is as colourful as it is captivating, Desi continues to grow in leaps and bounds and is sure to keep shining wherever his talent takes him!
Sources: Adele Koolen
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