She has survived a coma, a brain tumour and a cardiac arrest, and now she is strutting towards the Mrs South Africa stage with a pacemaker in her chest and fire in her heart.

Chanelle Badenhorst (37), a wife, mother of two, and Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa Champion from Bloubergstrand, is among the top 30 finalists in this year’s Mrs South Africa competition.

But hers is no ordinary pageant journey. “After everything I’ve faced in my life, entering Mrs South Africa feels like a calling, a step into purpose, not perfection,” she says. “I didn’t come here polished or pretending. I came as I am, real, learning and growing.”

‘I was 19 and in a coma’

Chanelle’s medical odyssey began in 2008 when, as a 19-year-old student at the North-West University, she contracted viral meningitis and was in a coma for about a week.

“Just six weeks after I came out of the coma, a tumour on the pituitary gland of the brain was diagnosed,” she says. “I was a student at the time and had to interrupt my studies.”

The tumour caused blindness and required stringent treatment. Had she not recovered, surgery to remove it would have carried the risk of losing her senses.

“It was a journey of faith, and a miracle when the treatment supposed to shrink the tumour took the tumour away. Life was back to normal and I could return to university to complete my studies.”

And complete them she did, with distinction. She went on to complete her BA in communication and media studies, then her honours degree in psychology, and then her master’s degree in applied positive psychology, all cum laude.

“I was the youngest person and first woman in South Africa to complete the master’s degree.” For a while, life was good. She got married and was blessed with two daughters.

A heart that stopped

In her early thirties, heart health became a major part of her life.

“After Covid I developed myocarditis and pericarditis causing a sudden cardiac arrest at work and was later diagnosed with, among other things, sick sinus syndrome.”

At just 33, she received a pacemaker. “My life changed instantly, and what was normal was not normal anymore,” she says. “I became dependent on the pacemaker and was diagnosed with sick sinus syndrome. In other words, my heart was lazy.”

She had to start running to strengthen her heart. What started as 30-minute cardio workouts turned into longer runs as she joined a running club. It was a big mindshift, but nine months later she did her first half marathon, and a year later, the Cape Town marathon.

“I run to keep my heart as strong and fit as possible. I have completed more than one Cape Town marathon, but the Two Oceans half marathon is very special to me. I have completed it several times and have also run as a Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa Champion.”

The Queen of Hearts

Chanelle was chosen as a semi-finalist in January and made the top 30 in July. She calls her platform Queen of Hearts, and it is not about a tiara.

“When I speak about a crown, I don’t mean something worn on my head,” she says. “My crown is my heart. That’s the space I lead from. That’s the brand I’m building.”

The platform brings her heart story, her faith, her love for people and her passion for women supporting other women all together.

“I’m discovering that this journey is built on sisterhood, on relationships that form when women choose to rely on one another.”

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She says the Mrs South Africa competition is a platform that empowers women. “It is actually often referred to as the ‘MBA of Life’. The glamour is only a small part of it.

With her on the journey is a four-legged heart guardian, Klara-Bell, her adorable golden retriever – a medical alert dog in training to become South Africa’s first cardiac support dog.

“I want to be a voice for cardiac health and inspire women,” says Chanelle. “I want to show people that by looking after our bodies and living healthy lifestyles, we will have healthy lives, be healthy moms and wives. I want to show people that their biggest challenges in life can become a platform to their biggest success.”‘

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“This changed my whole life,” she said. “But I also realised that you don’t have to be your diagnosis, and you don’t have to sit in a corner and stop living. The loss and grief I experienced as I lost my identity with the illness now became a testimony of overcoming.”

“I learned that whatever life throws at you, God has you.”

Her message to others is clear: “It’s about choosing faith over fear. It’s about reminding every woman that your story is not over… it’s just getting started.”

The preliminary competition is on 12 November, and the final and crowning on 13 November at the Theatre of Marcellus at Emperors Palace in Gauteng.

Follow Badenhorst’s journey on Instagram at @Chanelle24.