Lara Du Preez was one of many new faces on Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, but it did not take long for the newbie to turn heads. Lara joined as a Deckhand, but was quickly promoted to Lead Deckhand by Bosun Luka Brunton. In the midst of a chaotic charter season, Lara has done an amazing job with helping to lead the deck team. Lara has emerged as one of the heroes of Below Deck Med Season 8, for many different reasons.
Lara Is An Exceptionally Hard Worker
The most admirable thing about Lara is her work ethic, which is truly incredible. Luka noticed how hardworking Lara was from the jump and did not hesitate to promote her to Lead Deckhand. Lara was honored and took on the role with ease. It’s clear that Lara really knows her stuff when it comes to yachting, which Captain Sandy Yawn agreed with as well.
Lara never fails to lend a helping hand when needed, no matter what the circumstances are. When Deckhand Haleigh Gorman had to leave the yacht after coming down with a stomach bug, Lara did not hesitate to step up. Lara never worried about when she would receive breaks, unlike fellow Deckhand Max Salvador. Furthermore, Lara even pushed herself to keep working when she came down with the illness that sidelined Haleigh.
Another time Lara truly stepped up to the plate was when Luka made an error in the deck team schedule. Luka left the boat while all of the Deckhands were sleeping on break, including Lara. When the interior team needed help carrying plates, Lara immediately woke up and went to help. This showed how much Lara cares about her team, as she jumped up to help a team she wasn’t even a part of.
Lara Doesn’t Hesitate To Call Out Her Team
While Luka leads the deck team as the Bosun, Lara is also in a leadership role as the Lead Deckhand. A trait of any good leader is having the ability to respectfully call out your team when needed, which Lara certainly does.
Throughout the season, Lara has had a difficult working relationship with Max. Lara often feels that Max is not working as hard as he should be, and most of the time she is right. From the get go, Lara has emphasized to Max that he needs to work hard. It seems like Lara’s words have worked, as Max’s work ethic has slowly improved over the course of the season.
Despite being very close with Luka, Lara does not hesitate to call him out on his faults either. When Luka made a big error on the deck team schedule, Lara admitted to being frustrated with Luka’s irresponsibility. Lara is not the type of person to side with someone just because she’s friends with them, which is an important quality for every leader to have.
Lara Is Hilarious
While it is certainly refreshing to watch Lara’s strong work ethic, the Lead Deckhand is also enjoyable for her wicked sense of humor. Unlike many of her fellow crew members, Lara often jokes around in her confessionals and doesn’t take them very seriously.
One of Lara’s most iconic moments this season was her attempt to sing opera. Lara claimed that she had never taken opera lessons and that her talent was “natural.” Lara never fails to crack up her fellow crew members, which is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise tense season.
Lara Is A Great Friend
Lara has been a good neutral on Below Deck Med Season 8, as she is never involved in any of the ongoing drama. Despite her work related feud with Max, Lara is still kind to him and treats him like a brother. Lara is also very close with Luka and Haleigh, and is a good friend to basically everyone onboard.
Furthermore, Lara has also developed close relationships with several members of the interior team. Lara showed kindness to Natalya Scudder when the majority of the crew teamed up against her, and even sat with her in the master bedroom until she fell asleep. Lara has also been a good friend to Kyle Viljoen, who is responsible for most of the drama this season.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF LARA THIS SEASON? WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE LARA RETURN TO THE FRANCHISE?
