Ever since Steffi van Wyk-Brink entered the national limelight after scooping the Miss Namibia title in 2015, it was clear that there was something special about the sporty beauty.
Many Namibians will be pleased to know that they will be seeing a lot more of the gorgeous fitness fanatic, who is one of the contestants on the popular South African reality show ‘Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets’.
The new season premiered on DStv’s M-Net (channel 102) last night and sees 21 castaways battling it out on the isolated islands of Samoa for 39 days. There they must provide food, water, fire and shelter for themselves and compete in a series of physical and mental challenges to earn rewards and immunity from elimination. Only one will remain as the ultimate survivor, earning a cool million in prize money.
At the time of winning of Miss Namibia, Van Wyk-Brink was working as a sports organiser and part-time fitness instructor at her former high school – Jan Möhr Secondary School. She represented Namibia at the Miss World 2015 pageant, which took place in China and where she won the sports challenge event.
In 2016, she married Clint Brink, a well-known South African actor, and the couple now lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she is the co-owner of Brink Fit – a sports, fitness and wellness company that aims to help elite athletes reach optimal performance levels.
She refers to her husband as her best friend. In April, she celebrated their love on social media.
“Today three years ago, I met my best friend, Clint Brink. The crayon to my paper and the ink to my brush. It makes my heart joyous to know that there is a lifetime of love yet to be explored, through the ups and downs. Just because of you, Clint Brink, I am better.”
During an exclusive interview with The Weekender, the Namibian-born beauty said being part of the show was a childhood ambition fulfilled.
“It has always been a dream of mine to be on the show ever since I once saw an episode of ‘Survivor USA’ when I was still a child. I definitely imagined myself on the show already then,” she said.
Her participation, she said, is an indication that dreams can come true. “If you don’t dream it, it won’t ever happen. So dreaming about your objectives and life goals is of utmost importance.”
Van Wyk-Brink has previously competed in bodybuilding contests like the Muscle Militia Show in the bikini fitness division, which she won. She also competed in the Arnold Classic Africa competition, an annual multi-sport event celebrating numerous sporting codes, in which she placed third.
“Growing up, I was always interested in sports. I was never very lady-like; I was more of a tomboy. My husband introduced me to the sport of bodybuilding and I have always loved training,” she said.
To prepare for her stint on the island, Van Wyk-Brink said she binge-watched previous episodes, did some body stress release therapy and saw a psychologist.
“I tried preparing myself emotionally for the experience. I stopped training in the weights section and started swimming more,” she revealed.
Van Wyk-Brink said she aims to learn from the reality show. “I hope to learn more about the game, about accepting different people, interacting with different personalities and, lastly, to appreciate time and the bare essentials we often take for granted in our day-to-day life.”
Viewers can expect to be entertained and to learn more about the 27-year-old home-grown hottie.
“You can certainly expect to get to know me, maybe not the best versions of me at some points, but the flawed aspects and great bits of my personality. I think it is important to know this about a person. We are all imperfect. Expecting a perfect version of a castaway is not the way to go about watching the show,” she said.
To get where she is today was certainly not an easy journey. Van Wyk-Brink advises those who want to follow in her footsteps to always set goals.
“After that, achieve them. If you fall a little short, work some more until you reach satisfaction. Excellence requires sacrifice, though. Sacrificial passion and love for your craft.”
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