The Knockout

How does a farm girl with a chronic illness become one of SA’s leading ladies? Model and actress Amanda du-Pont says she fought her challenges head on – by stepping into the boxing ring.

- Lori Cohen

"Make me look strong!” is the roar that emanates from Amanda du-Pont as our photographer aims his camera for the first shot for this issue’s cover. It’s an unusual request from a cover star (“make me look thin”, “make me look tall”... We’ve heard them all), but then the 28-year-old actress and model isn’t your typical celeb. There’s a reason that Amanda feels she’s earned bragging rights for her sculpted, toned – and, yes, very strong – body. Best known for her role as Lelo on SABC1 soapie Skeem Saam, Amanda’s physical strength was hard earned after a battle with her health that almost ended her career before it started.

STEPPING INTO THE LIMELIGHT

Born in Swaziland, Amanda’s family moved to White River when she was a tween to enroll Amanda and her two sisters into Uplands College in Nelspruit. Sport and outdoor activities are high on the agenda. “They offer all kinds of activities and it’s at Uplands that I fell in love with living an adventurous life,” she says.

But the thriving theatre culture at the school had a stronger pull on the teenager than she realised. “The school was very competitive in sport, so if you weren’t in a team it was a case of ‘Oh shem, sorry for you!’ There, you were either sporty or an arty nerd and I had to fight to do both, because I loved both of them.”

While she had participated in acting productions from the age of five, Amanda says it took a comment from a teacher for her to realise that the stage was where she was meant to spend her life. “I had been struggling to decide what to do and where to study, when one of my matric teachers commented on an exam paper ‘never give up on your acting’. I was like, that’s it!”