M.E PROFILE
“I NEVER REALLY EXPECTED TO
WIN OVERALLS YET. AT A LATER STAGE
IN MY CAREER, MOST DEFINITELY BUT
I ONLY THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE
IN ANOTHER YEAR’S TIME.”
Talk us through your season mentally,
and how you prepared differently, which
obviously culminated in the IFBB SA
overall title?
This year I really applied everything, I did
everything I could possibly do with my prep.
It was about making sure that I left nothing
to chance. I started off with a good off-season
conditioning programme, and come contest
prep time everything was going smoothly as
I wanted to impress from the start and carry
the momentum going into the IFBB SA
National Championships.
I remember that as we got closer to the
SA Champs, Marius said I must start thinking
overall title, while I was thinking I must take
one step at a time. However I prayed and
asked that if it was meant to be then so be it.
And it was meant to be in the end!
Now suddenly the focus and goals shift
to the World Championships and the Africa
Olympia. And this time for sure I am going
for the win. I am more determined than
ever now.
As this year's prep continued, everyone
around me could see major differences in my
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Muscle Evolution
conditioning, from my work colleagues, who
are so supportive of me and who see me drag
my lifeless body into the office every day,
to my training team and fellow gym goers,
my family and friends. They could all see the
impact of the diet Marius had me on. There
was a point where I thought to myself “must
I really continue?”. But in this sport you stay
strong and you brush the thought off and pick
yourself up and persevere... and boom! The
rest is history.
I would like to thank the Lord for blessing
me with an amazing support team. To my wife,
thank you for your love, support, patience and
understanding. To my backstage assistant,
my brother in-law, who has been with me
from the beginning and never missed a show
tanning me up, thank you for your undying
support. To my sponsors Rudx Nutrition,
without you by my side I would never have
achieved so much. I am truly blessed to have
the best sponsor on board. To my coach and
mentor, Marius Dohne (BTD), thank you for
believing in me. In 2012, I was about to call it
quits and you managed to revive my passion
because you believed in me. Through trial and
error you have moulded me and each year I
get better. The results are evidence of this.
How does it feel to be the IFBB overall
champion?
One of my biggest goals was to win overalls
at provincial level and my lineup at the
SA Champs. I never really expected to win
overalls yet. At a later stage in my career, most
definitely but I only thought it was possible in
another year's time. Just before I stepped onto
stage I remember thinking “no ways do I stand
a chance here!” The guys were all short guys:
Chris, Dillion, Carlos, Michael, and I remember
looking at them thinking my height is going
be my disadvantage here as the other guys
are short and thick. Then there was the first
call out. Chris, Dillion and Michael got called,
and I remember thinking “damn I'm out”. Then
there was a shuffle, one number was missing,
and boom they call my number. I promise you,
the moment they called my number the crowd
went crazy. At that point I felt like I stood a
chance. When they made the announcement
I got emotional, so much was going on in my
head, it really felt surreal.