CAPE Town’s Rudi Witkowsky is known for his killer abs, a passion for fitness and as a contestant in season eight of Tropika Island of Treasure Maldives.
The show, which airs on SABC3, takes seven contestants and pairs each with a celebrity partner. Each pair then competes in various physical challenges on a luxurious island resort, with the chance of scooping the R1-million grand prize.
Witkowsky, 27, has been paired with actor and musician Nay Maps.
The former chartered accountant, who quit his 9-5 job to become a model, health coach and personal trainer, has developed a soon-to-be launched online fitness programme that can be done at home.
It’s the same programme he attributes to helping him attain his killer physique - which helped him become a finalist in the 2018 Cosmopolitan Sexiest Man competition.
Witkowsky says he decided to make the switch from the corporate to the fitness world because it was his true passion.
“After I qualified as a CA, I was too afraid to pursue fitness because the 'world' makes us believe that you can only succeed if you are a lawyer, accountant, doctor or engineer.
“But as time passed I started to pursue my true passion. Later, I qualified as a fitness instructor and began to advise people on nutrition, health and fitness.”
Of his decision to enter the Tropika Island of Treasure competition, the fitness enthusiast says it was an easy choice. “After watching the previous season, I really wanted to be a contestant. Plus, who wouldn’t want to go to the Maldives?
“The fact that it required me to make use of my fitness ability was a dream come true. I am also extremely competitive, so it made sense for it to be a perfect platform to embrace my competitive nature.”
His current exercise regime incorporates a lot of body weight. “I exercise at home using my 'at home' workout programme. I love free body weight and functional training. I also love trail running and I run at least every two weeks; nothing beats being closer to nature.
“For the Tropika competition, I trained doing a lot of functional and high-intensity training training. I knew that a television show would require me to push myself to a breaking point, and I set myself unreasonable targets to achieve.”
His advice to aspiring fitness enthusiasts is to start with small goals. “Everyone has different goals. Learn to love your body. Just start today!”