Daisy van Vuuren, a 51-year-old lieutenant-colonel posted unit commander in the South African Police Service (Saps) in Pretoria, determined to raise the South African flag high. The once-shy cop will don a bright yellow bikini in May to compete at an International Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (IBFF) event in Italy. Having joined the police college in 1990, Van Vuuren recently celebrated 33 years with the Saps, of which he spent 22 years in the attached unit. Van Vuuren stopped riding after losing his horse, Alex, a few years ago. “My love for riding stopped when he…
Daisy van Vuuren, a 51-year-old lieutenant-colonel posted unit commander in the South African Police Service (Saps) in Pretoria, determined to raise the South African flag high.
The once-shy cop will don a bright yellow bikini in May to compete at an International Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (IBFF) event in Italy.
Having joined the police college in 1990, Van Vuuren recently celebrated 33 years with the Saps, of which he spent 22 years in the attached unit. Van Vuuren stopped riding after losing his horse, Alex, a few years ago.
“My love for riding horses stopped when he died. I had him for 10 years, but when he died, I didn’t have the will to train a new horse,” he said.
Van Vuuren’s Weight Loss Challenge
Van Vuuren instead aims to focus on fitness.
“I’ve always been an aerobics fanatic. Eight years ago, at the age of 47, I started crossfit. I had been doing crossfit for two years when my trainer told me I could go on stage. I couldn’t believe it,” he said.
Van Vuuren said his journey began during a winter weight loss challenge at the gym.
“I followed the eating plan and all the muscles came out in places where I didn’t know there were muscles. Everyone started asking if I was competing in bodybuilding,” he said.
After finding a trainer who gave him an eating and training plan, Van Vuuren joined the police-affiliated IBFF.
“I competed in the first competition seven years ago and it was a big disaster,” she said.
Van Vuuren said it was difficult to attend a posing class where she was among young girls, all of whom were models.
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“I have a body but no confidence. I have a body but I struggle to show it off. It’s terrible.
“I don’t know how to deal with it, but it made me a new person and gave me confidence. I started to believe in myself,” he said.
Bodybuilding is expensive
The judge in her first event told her to smile next time. Van Vuuren said bodybuilding is an expensive hobby with a police salary.
A basic entry-level bikini with minimal bling is priced at anything from R1 000 upwards. The more bling, the more expensive. A full-bling bikini can cost up to R5 000.
“You don’t always need a new bikini, but – you know women – they always want a new bikini.” Van Vuuren says she likes earth tones but was pushed to try a bright yellow bikini.
“I wasn’t sure at first, but it became a hit. It’s the best bikini yet. I took it with me in May – with some more bling,” she said.
Currently Van Vuuren has more than 20 bikinis in different colors.
“I have a lot of blue, but yellow would be my favorite,” he said.
Van Vuuren has started selling some bikinis to raise funds to participate in fitness modeling and more than 35 divisions of competition. She says she’s not afraid of young models anymore.
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“They may be 18, 21 or 35 years old, but I know what I will look like when I am 51. The 35-year-old still needs to know what I will look like at my age,” he said.
‘I don’t mind him’
Van Vuuren said his family, including his 20-year-old son, does not like the sport.
“They said there was too much butt and too much breast to show and too little clothing,” she laughed, but she lifted her head.
“I don’t mind, because this is an approved police sport. On Wednesday evening I went to the train,” he said.
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Van Vuuren admits that he cannot resist the ultimate cheat meals: pap, sous and wors.
“It’s not just those hours in the gym, but the other 23. The secret is consistency,” she said.
– marizkac@citizen.co.za