From Circus Rings to Chevy Sales: The Story of Caleb Lemons
When you meet Caleb Lemons at Pohanka Chevrolet, you’ll quickly notice his calm confidence and knack for connecting with people. What you might not guess is that this Chevy Specialist once spent his childhood summers performing death-defying stunts in a traveling circus.
Caleb grew up in the quiet countryside of northern Virginia, near the West Virginia border, where the nearest store was half an hour away. Life there was simple, until an opportunity to join a Christian summer camp changed everything. The camp, called Camp Sandy Cove, hosted a unique third-party circus program that taught kids trapeze, acrobatics, and fire performances. By age six, Caleb had joined the ranks of young performers who spent their summers training, performing, and learning the value of courage and precision.
“It wasn’t scary. It was exciting,” Caleb recalled. “Standing on the edge of the platform, sixty feet in the air, waiting for the signal to jump, there’s no feeling like it.”
That thrill led him to master acts far beyond his years: trapeze flying, human juggling, and eventually fire breathing. But not every stunt went as planned. During one performance in front of hundreds of spectators, two performers accidentally swallowed kerosene and were rushed to the hospital. Caleb, then barely a teenager, decided to step in.
As he misted the fuel, the spray caught on his face and chest, igniting instantly. Flames engulfed him as the crowd gasped. Caleb suffered third-degree burns and spent the night in the emergency room. Yet, remarkably, he returned to the circus tent the next morning, bandaged, bruised, and determined to finish the show.
“If I didn’t finish, I knew I’d be scared to go back,” he said. “So I went back out there and did it anyway.”
The experience taught him something he carries with him to this day: the show must go on.
When the camp eventually closed, Caleb found a new passion. He began racing cars and learning about mechanics, drawn to the same blend of excitement and focus that fueled his circus days. His love for cars, along with a friend’s recommendation, eventually led him to Pohanka Chevrolet.
Today, Caleb drives over an hour from Winchester, Virginia, to work each day — passing other dealerships along the way. “There are plenty of places I could work,” he said, “but none that treat customers the way Pohanka does. That’s why I’m here.”
Outside of Pohanka, Caleb continues to channel his entrepreneurial energy. He co-founded Apersu, a designer eyewear company built from the ground up through online sales and private investment. For him, whether it’s business, performance, or automotive sales, success comes down to one principle: relationships.
“Everything is a performance,” Caleb explained. “You show up, give your best, and make sure everyone leaves happy. Whether it’s a customer or a crowd, you focus on making people feel seen.”
From a six-year-old circus performer flying through the air to a rising professional in the automotive world, Caleb Lemons embodies what it means to persevere, adapt, and perform with heart. His journey reminds us that the best lessons often come from unexpected places, and that at Pohanka, passion and purpose take center stage every day.
