She is called the 'Pitbull' because of her strong build and fiery fitness yet she has a friendly personality. Former Zone 14 actress, dancer, and trainer Carol Behane opens up to ZiMoja about how fitness saved her life and why she left the limelight.
ACTING AND IMAGE
She grew up a chubby girl and was not happy about her life. "I didn't like my body when I was growing up," she confesses. She says when she got into the industry, she got in through Gibson Kente's theatre as a dancer and actor. "My first gigs were dancing, and they ended up making me play the drums because I was big as the movements were not showing nicely because I was big." She then joined gym and aerobics to help stay slim.
FITNESS SAVED HER LIVE
When she was cast on Zone 14, she became one of the most popular actresses on the drama series. "After leaving Zone 14, I started my personal training business where I train people." Although she is not on TV much these days, she still loves acting and says, "It's my passion. I will never stop acting." Her most recent role was that of a prison warder on The River which she enjoyed. She says she would love to go back to acting and is calling on all producers to cast her. "I would love to go back and get more roles. I left because I wasn't being cast. I wasn't being called for auditions much and honestly don't know why."
DIVORCE, DEATH AND DEPRESSION
She took a break from the limelight when things took a turn. "I stayed away from the limelight because of bad publicity. My sponsors pulled out. I was in a mess and I was going through a lot. I was also getting divorced and I needed a break," she says, without divulging what led to the bad publicity. Carol focused her energy on fitness which has helped her mental wellness. "In 2018 I also lost my baby. My daughter passed away four hours after being born," she says, adding that after her newborn's death, things between her and her partner were no longer the same. "Instead of grieving my baby, I focused my energy on saving my relationship. In 2019, depression hit me so much and I almost took my life but fitness saved my life." Carol attempted suicide and landed in hospital but while in ICU she realised that she was being selfish. "I almost put my firstborn and my family in trouble. So, ngazikhuza (reprimanded myself) and I started gyming very hard until today. I started afresh and rebuilt my life from the inside, out."
HEALING AND HEALTH
Carol says she would not have survived COVID-19 and depression had it not been for wellness. "When COVID-19 hit, I was still staying with my partner, but things had changed and we were just housemates and not lovers," she says. "I was dealing with that and we had no income- gyms were closed,and depression became worse. But I tried to take walks in the complex and working out at home kept me sane during that time." She is an all-rounder and does all types of fitness. "I do almost everything; heat training, high impact, weights, indoor cycling and running 20 km every Sunday." She is disciplined and doesn't believe in fad diets but a healthy lifestyle. "I don't believe in diets but a healthy lifestyle. I believe in living a balanced lifestyle. I eat small portions, mostly made up of vegetables and meat and some carbohydrates. But I eat good fat and good carbs." Carol says the misconceptions of fitness are that, "People think a healthy lifestyle is unrealistic and live on two strawberries and one grape and shakes. We're human, we eat everything but it must be in moderation."
