My Perfect Sunday

How Mark Stent, the World's Strongest DJ, spends his Sundays

No Sunday would be complete for this internationally touring DJ without a sun lounger and Smarties

10 June 2018 - 00:00 By SUNDAY TIMES REPORTER

If I wasn't working the night before, I would be up early hiking, hitting a mountain bike trail or visiting a gourmet food market. If I did work the night before, I'm sleeping in, probably watching some series and having a nice hot cup of java (I'm a coffee snob). I would definitely stay in my PJs as long as possible.
I'm a big fan of lying in the sun and getting vitamin D, so at some point I'll have to drag myself onto my lounger, smack on some suntan cream and sunnies and relax.
I am an eternal academic and I love to learn, so I read lots of books on Buddhism, music-related books and self-growth novels. But my absolute favourite read is books about gangsters and thugs. I'm obsessed with the things that criminals have the balls to do and get away with. I think it appeals to my inner mafia!
How I spend my Sunday afternoons depends on how the morning went. If I've been on a hike, then my afternoon is a serious Netflix and chill. If I already lazed about in the morning, then I'm up for some squats and dead lifts in the gym.
I spend the whole weekend looking forward to Sunday nights as Monday is a DJ's Sunday, so Sunday evenings mean early nights and lots of sleep. I would definitely snack on popcorn and Smarties at some point - Sunday is cheat day!
I'm strict about what I eat, but there are two meals that I would break any diet for anytime: my mother's lasagne, which is a recipe I've never tasted anywhere else - I can eat as much of it as she puts in front of me. My other vice is chocolate cake: I'm a sucker for a moist, thick-icing chocolate cake.
I'm a Master Scuba Diver, so an ideal Sunday would involve places with the best reefs. Those are the Holy Grail for me. Guinjata Bay in Mozambique is one of my favourite remote ocean destinations. It's a small bay with untouched reefs, tons of sharks and sealife, lots of sand and see-through waters. There is nothing to do there but sleep, tan and dive. This is how I imagine paradise.
Everyone who knows me knows how much I love my three daughters. They are all divers, so we would dive together. Sharing their views of the underwater world amazes me every single time - it's like seeing the reefs from a new set of eyes.My girlfriend is a water hater, so she would be sitting on the side, waiting for us to get back. And I would playfully mock her about how she is missing out.
No Sunday (or any day for that matter) is full without music playing some part. Music is my soul and the air I breathe. A large part of my life is spent in studio trying new sounds and playing new melodies. I have been learning classical piano recently and it has given me a love of properly composed music.
I'm a huge fan of Thomas Newman right now, he is so technical and beautiful and emotional and calms me down. It's a contrast to the music that gets me going generally, which is industrial techno. Techno is the music that drives me and gives me every kind of emotion. It's also my most inspired music to create...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.