Jacques Pienaar is a South African truck salesman who was the runner-up on the e.tv reality competition television series The Biggest Loser SA, from January to April, 2008.
He was the 9th person eliminated from the show, on 3 March. At the Reunion Show (Episode 14, Monday 7 April) he lost the most weight (59.9kg) as well as the highest percentage of body fat (40.7%), winning the title of Runner-Up and a R50,000 cash prize.
Show Statistics
Age
24
Weight at the start of the show
149.5kg
The Biggest Loser team
Red
Weight at the finale
89.6kg
Total lost
59.9kg
Total body percentage lost
40.7%
AFTER
Biggest Loser Profile
Jacques is fresh-faced and youthful and looks like he still has some puppy fat around the edges.
However, do not be fooled by these seemingly innocent traits. He is a truck salesman and by the looks of it, this young man from Kempton Park is no pushover.
“I enjoy my work, because I like people and each client is different. What I do is a challenge every day, which is why I enjoy truck sales.”
One of the bravest things he has ever done was to save someone from a smoke engulfed and burning house.
Apart from being a daring and gallant rescuer, he is also an exceptional cook. “I can cook anything under the sun,” he says.
Pasta, pizzas and burgers are his passion, and asparagus his least favourite. Besides cooking, he enjoys watching sport, running, cycling, swimming and helping others where possible.
“My dream? I want to climb out of a swimming pool looking great, with good-looking girls checking me out nearby.
“I will flex my muscles and they will come running.” He laughs, with a twinkle in his eyes.
He finds it depressing if people laugh behind his back about his weight and irritating when so-called well-meaning people start telling him about what diet he should follow.
“I feel intimidated and self-conscious in the company of well-built people,” he says.
“I can trace my overeating back to the days when my parents got divorced. I took that badly and I found solace in food. Lots of it.
“When it comes to voting people off the set, it will depend. People who do not work hard must go. In addition, if I have to be taken off I will continue on this journey. I will truck on, no matter what.”