IT'S 19 AUGUST 1983 and a couple have just welcomed a daughter into the world - a baby they dared to dream they'd have.
Barry and June Steenkamp already have a child each from their previous marriages - a daughter, Simone, for June and a son, Adam, for Barry.
They thought they might have left it a bit late for another baby but here she is, a healthy little girl they've already decided to call Rebecca.
But after Barry sees his daughter, he has another suggestion for a name: Reeva. It means "to bind together" in biblical Hebrew and it was perfect - shed be the seal on her parents' commitment and would go into the world with a strong and unusual name.
The baby is christened Reeva Rebecca and she grows into a model child, exceeding in everything she puts her mind to. At St Dominic's Priory School in what was then Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), she's a hardworking learner who excels at extra-murals - especially horse riding, her first love.
"People assume I'm one of those princess types but the only Barbie I had growing up was the one with a horse, Reeva would tell FHM magazine in 2012.
Yet in her teenage years she becomes interested in modelling too, and with her dazzling smile and air of charming innocence, she makes an immediate impact.
"She was 15 and a very young 15," Barbara Robertson, the editor of a local newspaper that hosted a modelling contest where Reeva made her debut, told The Guardian years later.
"She was innocent, down to earth - one of those girls who had the It factor. She was a little bit Kate Moss in her early career."
But Reeva also wants to make sure she has a career she can benefit from for life. After school she enrols for a law degree at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and graduates in 2005.
This story is from the 11 January 2024 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the 11 January 2024 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!
Kourtney Kardashian and other celebs are honouring the glory of new moms' postpartum bodies
LEON'S ORDEAL IS NO JOKE
Pain has dominated entertainer Leon Schuster's life after a serious back injury landed him in bed. But despite being depressed he remains hopeful he will recover so he can get back to work
'BREAK THE SILENCE'
That's the message of the Scottish comedian who turned his experience of stalking and sexual abuse into a hit Netflix show
A PLACE OF HOPE AND HEALING
Damaged people and abused dogs find a safe haven and a chance to start again at this farm in the Cape Winelands
FROM SPERM DONOR TO DAD OF 37
Peter Ellenstein's life took an unexpected turn when a message from a daughter he never knew he had led to him meeting dozens of his children and exploring what it means to be a father without ever having raised them
GRATEFUL FOR EVERY BREATH
A double lung transplant has given this chef a second chance at life - and he'll never forget the young man who made it possible
THE GAMES ARE GO!
Preparations are well under way in the City of Lights for the world's greatest sporting spectacle
MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT
We break down what the new rules are and what to expect for the seventh national elections later this month
TOM'S A TOP GIFTER
He's known to go ALL OUT for his movies and stunts, so it's no surprise TOM CRUISE also PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS for his friends when it comes to GIFTS
TAMING THE BEAST
Recognising and managing your anger can make for a happier and healthier you