Rolene Strauss opens up about the struggles of a long-distance marriage  

Former Miss World and Miss South Africa, Rolene Strauss took to social media early on Saturday morning to share with her followers how she and hubby D’Niel made their long-distance relationship work for them.

The couple met in Hartenbos near Mossel Bay in 2011 and got engaged in the holiday town in late 2014, not long after the brunette beauty was crowned Miss World.

D’Niel and Rolene exchanged their wedding vows at the Laurent Wedding venue in Somerset West on 6 February 2016.

Rolene gave birth to a baby boy in January 2017 and welcomed her second son with her hubby in February 2022.

The proud parents’ relationship hasn’t always been moon shine and roses, though.

Taking to her Instagram account on Saturday morning, Rolene shared that she and hubby D’Niel were in a long-distance relationship for six years. Of those six years the couple were married for two years and parents for one year. Rolene also had to focus on both Miss South Africa and Miss World during this time.

Long-distance relationships are surprisingly a lot more common than you might think, but contrary to belief, these relationships can survive if you really want to make it work.

ALSO SEE: Faf de Klerk and Miné on the difficulties of a long-distance relationship

Rolene shares three things that made her and D’Niel’s long-distance relationship a success:

Commit to each other

“Right from the start D’Niel and I made the decision to commit to each other and knew that we were in it for the long run. We chose each other and chose to trust one another, to be gentle, and to put in the hard work.”

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A post shared by Rolene Strauss (@rolenestrauss)

Build a strong foundation

“We knew that if we can stand this test of time (and distance), our relationship will be rock solid. We used this time to develop a strong foundation that was built on good communication, unconditional respect, and patience for one another.”

Live in the present

“We had to learn how to live in the present, and decided to embrace every season and moment. When we were together, we were together! We focussed on each other and let go of any distractions. We tried to not overthink the goodbyes, but rather saw them as an opportunity for the heart to grow fonder again.”