A South African athlete is heading to America for three major bodybuilding competitions, hoping to achieve something no South African professional bikini athlete has done before. And with an impressive international podium finish already behind her, Monique Janse van Vuuren is ready to make her country proud.
If you only have a minute, read this: South African bodybuilder Monique Janse van Vuuren is heading to America for three competitions in three weeks, chasing a historic first! After finishing third at the 2025 Portugal Pro, she’s hoping to become the first South African IFBB Pro Bikini athlete to qualify for Olympia. With years of dedication and an incredible support team behind her, Monique is giving South Africa another reason to cheer!
South Africa (08 November 2026) – A South African bodybuilder is preparing for three major competitions in the United States this November, hoping to make history by becoming the first South African IFBB Pro Bikini athlete to qualify for Olympia, one of the most prestigious events in professional bodybuilding.
Monique Janse van Vuuren, a personal trainer at Body Action Gym, will compete against some of the world’s best athletes over three weeks. After finishing third at the 2025 Portugal Pro, becoming the highest-placing South African professional bikini athlete, she is now hoping to take the next big step towards achieving her dream.
But behind the impressive results is a remarkable story of determination and sacrifice.
Professional bodybuilding was never part of Monique’s original plan. After completing an honours degree in industrial psychology, she entered the corporate world but soon realised something was missing. Having grown up horse riding, running and enjoying an active childhood, she wanted to reconnect with her love of movement.
“I felt stuck and motionless,” she recalls. “Moving into the fitness industry finally made me feel free. I was moving my body the way I did when I was small.”
When a coach first suggested she enter a bodybuilding competition, Monique wasn’t convinced.
“I am not a pony on a stage. I will not be judged for what my body looks like,” she told him.
A Coach's Birthday, a Viral Ad, a World Title, a Lifesaving Dog and a Country Full of Good People!
SPCA Cyclists Ride for Animals in Need at Wines2WhalesThankfully, she eventually agreed, winning her first competition and earning her professional card in 2021 after just five shows. And in 2025, she finished third at the Portugal Pro, becoming the highest-placing South African professional bikini athlete. It was a moment that made her realise just how far she had come.
“I was putting South Africa on the map. These were athletes I admired before I became a professional. I couldn’t believe I was meeting them, never mind standing there with them.”
Monique’s dedication is incredible. She hasn’t eaten pizza or a burger in 12 years, and her days at Body Action Gym can stretch between 12 and 15 hours as she trains clients, completes her own workouts and prepares for competitions. She even squeezes in a second cardio session at home.
“It is a sacrifice,” she explains. “But it would be more of a sacrifice to let it go.”
Behind her success is an incredible support system. Her husband, Shane de Beer, is her biggest cheerleader, while her coach, Stephan du Toit, has travelled with her, prepared meals and even slept on couches and chairs to ensure she is ready for competition.
“He believes I am going to make it. You have gold when you have that kind of support,” she says of her husband.
Despite her demanding schedule, Monique remains passionate about helping others achieve their fitness goals. As a personal trainer, she understands that everyone’s journey is different and believes exercise should be enjoyable and sustainable.
“Personal training is not just physical. It is mostly psychological.”
Away from the gym, Monique enjoys spending time with Shane and their two French bulldogs, Harvey and Lily. Lily was born deaf, so Harvey has become her ears. She watches him, follows his movements and barks a moment after he does. Because of their allergies, they even share something of Monique’s bodybuilding lifestyle, eating steak and butternut. But Monique’s favourite meal is actually eggs and potatoes, her favourite exercise is hip thrusts, but she dreads Bulgarian split squats because, as she puts it, “my glutes don’t care about my feelings”.
For Monique, reaching the biggest stage in her sport means more than competing against the world’s best. It would mean making history for her country and proving that South African athletes belong among the international elite.
“I don’t plan to win Olympia… I want to be able to say that I was the first South African professional bikini athlete to make it there.”
Her upcoming American competitions represent another important step towards that dream. Nothing is guaranteed, but with an impressive international result already behind her, years of dedication and a team that believes in her, Monique is ready to give it everything she’s got.
And while she hasn’t qualified just yet, she’s certainly not lacking confidence. When someone suggests she might achieve her dream “one day”, Monique has a powerful response.
“Not one day,” she says. “Next year.”
South Africa, we’ve got another incredible athlete to get behind. Monique is chasing something really amazing… and we can’t wait to see how far she goes (and report on it when she gets there).
We’re cheering you on from the sidelines, Monique! Go make South Africa proud!
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