Tammy Jackson, 32, is one of two models, the so-called "Bikini Boks", who are competing at the Women's Body and Fitness World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia . The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) has just recognised body-building as a national sport - and bikini competitors are eligible for Protea colours by default because of a change in global body-building rules.
The decision represents an image turnaround for the sport after the controversies that plagued the Miss Fitness South Africa pageant last month. The Cape Town event was marred by insults about winners' bodies and claims by losing competitors that the results had been "fixed". Jackson, a physical trainer and Ms Olympia bikini champion from Durban, said she was "overwhelmed" by the honour.
"I've never travelled further than Cape Town in my life until this year, and now I'm representing my country in Europe. It's amazing."The other Protea participating is the national beach bikini champion, Olivia Vaughan, from Sedibeng, Vereeniging.
Contention still persisted in the sport this week with claims that some competitors were smoking and swigging from sherry bottles backstage last weekend at the final event of the domestic season, the Muscle Evolution Grand Prix held in Johannesburg. Gavin Conlon, president of Body-building South Africa and an organiser of the grand prix, admitted that some models sipped alcohol backstage but said it was used to boost their looks on stage.
"Some athletes believe Old Brown Sherry helps with vascularity, so they take a couple of swigs before they go on stage. They've been doing it for decades," he said. Conlon said he did not see anyone smoking and that it was always discouraged.
One model, Nastassia Jaffa, said the new rules meant that, with the right diet and training, ordinary female South African gym-goers now had the chance to be national athletes. She questioned why she did not get her Protea colours even though, like Jackson, she had won a national "bikini fitness" title in September.
"Tammy is seriously hot, but I want to represent my country too. We'd all like to know how these selections are made since it's totally new."Conlon responded: "Nastassia is young. Tammy has been doing this for years and has the experience. [Sascoc president] Gideon Sam told me this week we must send teams which can come back with medals. But what it shows is how much our athletes care about getting their Protea colours."
Jackson, who has a daughter of 11, said preparing for bikini competitions required daily three-hour work-outs, a strict diet and "staying away from socialising and friends".
She said her diet consisted of oats and protein drinks for breakfast, chicken, rice and vegetables for lunch and "no carbohydrates at all" for dinner. Andrew Carruthers, a promoter, said Sascoc's recognition was a "major boost" for body-building and bikini fitness that he expected to introduce money into the sport.