She’s a force to be reckoned with
Despite her hearing impairment, Chè-Lee Nel (10) placed first of 1 357 contestants at the Applause Rising Talent Showcase (Arts), recently.
In April of this year, the City Times covered a story of the young Farrarmere resident who travelled to New York to represent South Africa at Arts as a model, singer and actress.
With her sterling performance in the singing category, she gained great recognition and recommendations to various performing companies in America.
For her modelling and acting talents, she was one of 10 people chosen as the top acts at the contest.
To add to her list of achievements, the Laerskool Rynfield pupil was also scouted by Kim Myers as a potential bursary candidate to attend the New York Film Academy, and has signed up with Atlantic Records and LA Talent.
Next year she will attend a summer camp at the New York Film Academy, as she is still too young to attend now.
To attend Arts you must first audition for national scout Myers, who travels the world over searching for talented people, which is what Chè-Lee did.
What makes the ambitious girl even more special is that she has a severe hearing disability which her mother Chantel Blignaut said, according to doctors, was supposed to stop her from reaching her dreams of becoming a singer.
She lost part of her hearing at the age of three, when the nerves in her ear that signal sound to the brain died, leaving her right ear completely deaf and her left ear with only 40 per cent hearing.
“The doctors said she would never be able to hold a note, but she never gave up,” Blignaut said.
The brave girl continues to soldier on and pursue her dreams, bringing positive energy wherever she goes.
“She loves to make people laugh,” her proud mother said.
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