As role model stepping out, slashing stereotypes and breaking boundaries, Rozanne Olivier is doing life on her terms.
Photos : LINNEA FRANK
Every woman will experience a life changing moment once in a lifetime, which, no matter how big or small, will open her eyes, hitting her like a ton of bricks to send the message: it’s time for a change. A brave woman is a confident woman from the inside out. Courage is the key to happiness, something Rozanne Olivier has in abundance. Sugar and spice, and all things nice would be the words to describe this strong and outgoing woman.
Get It wanted to know what her life journey has really meant to her. “It means hard work and dedication to achieve a future with great opportunities and eternal happiness.”
Rozanne is a creative soul full of heart and drive but her journey from where she was to where she is now has been long and hard. “As an overweight teen in high school and through my university days, bullying was a part of everyday life, an act of disgust I knew all too well. Weighing over 100 kilograms then, life was a constant struggle and depression closely followed,” she says. She picked up bad habits of binge eating and hiding food away. As a result, shopping for clothing became a huge struggle. “I could not find any flattering outfits for my body type.” The day came where she was invited to a friend’s 21st birthday and had to find a dress. After hours of searching, something changed in her mind and
Rozanne made a pact with herself that she was going to change her lifestyle for the better. “This was the turning point in my life. At that moment I decided to start living healthier and to become confident in my own skin.” She decided not be the skinniest version of herself but the healthiest version. She recalls how she realised that every woman wants to feel sexy, so for her it was now or never. It took four years of training and healthy eating and when thinking back, Rozanne remembers how many setbacks she had to overcome
during those four years. She says, “Motivation does not come easily for me.” When asked what the things are that really worked for her, she emphasises the value of meal planning,
having a personal trainer and creating aspirational mood boards which help to keep you motivated. Surrounding herself with positivity was crucial for Rozanne and having a very supportive family behind her helped greatly in her journey. “At the end of the day it is
about loving yourself,” she adds. Rozanne went through blood sweat and tears to achieve her goals, which were greatly rewarded when she was scouted by a model agency called
STEAL in Johannesburg.
The sky was the limit for Rozanne as she went for countless photoshoots and landed her big break for one of South Africa’s biggest clothing brands, Donna. She made such a splash that the model agency ICE in Cape Town took her on as one of their own. Since then Rozanne has been working hard and travelling the world and all around South Africa, walking in fashion shows and doing countless photoshoots.
Rozanne is the poster child for body positivity and embraces the curves she now has. She sees modelling as empowering but to have the world seeing her on such a big scale can be
overwhelming, even scary, at times. Rozanne is not only a true model in her own right, she is currently the owner of Head 2 Toe Hair and Make-up School in Bloemfontein. She pursued her creative dreams by attending Head 2 Toe Hair and Make-up School in Cape Town after completing a degree in Psychology at the University of the Free State. Make-up has always been Rozanne’s passion where she can live out her spontaneous side.
She is not planning on slowing down anytime soon and has big plans for her hometown, Bloemfontein. Get It wanted to know what Rozanne is planning for the future. “I have a dream of one day opening my very own plus-size modelling school where I can
empower other curvy girls and women to realise their dreams. I want them to live their life to the best of their ability by being confident and following a healthy lifestyle that would fit their personal needs, creating a safe space away from the judgment and bullying out there in the world.”
Photos: Garreth Barclay
Rozanne’s tried and tested
meal prep tips
• Schedule the days you will be packing your meals. I prefer Sundays and Wednesdays.
• Have colour coded containers, e.g. a purple lid for breakfast, green lid for lunch and a pink lid for dinner.
• Measure out your proteins, e.g. 100g protein but add as much veggies or salad as you want. Veggies last better with a meal prep.
• Keep it fun, mix your proteins and make your veggies colourful so it looks more appealing.
• Search some salad in jar recipes, they last long and are super yummy.
• Failing to plan is planning to fail; decide on weekly menus and make shopping lists accordingly.
• Enjoy it!
Rozanne’s top cheat meals
Rozanne loves making some edamame beans with salt or roasted chick peas as a snack, especially when she watches movies. She loves tacos, so she often replaces them
with romaine lettuce. For spaghetti and meat balls she replaces the spaghetti with cauliflower or zucchini spaghetti. And for the sweet tooth, she makes a banana protein pancake with honey. One can even replace the protein and opt for almond or oat flour instead.
