Former world class athlete behind vinyl record table

Music enthusiasts browsing through vinyl records at the Hibiscus Coast Community House in Ōrewa or Silverdale’s Pioneer Village on any given weekend may be surprised to learn the identity of the vendor.

The smiling 1.85 metre-tall woman who greets them with a South African-accented “mixed genres, A to Z, shout out if you need anything” was, not many years ago, at the pinnacle of global athletics.

Hestrie Els (then known as Hestrie Cloete) is one of only two women to have won back-to-back world titles in the high jump, in 2001 and 2003. She won gold medals in the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games, silver medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, and a string of African titles. Her personal best 2.06 metre jump in 2003 is the tied fifth highest ever by a female athlete.

In 2003 she was named World Athlete of the Year, her homeland’s only holder of that honour. (Dame Valerie Adams became the sole Kiwi to achieve the title in 2014.)

Four years after retiring at the top of her game, Hestrie moved to New Zealand with her husband and one-year-old daughter in 2008. Their son was “born a Kiwi”, months after their arrival. Now 15, he is a promising young swimmer, winning his first national age group medal in April.

Selling records on the Coast seems a world away from the peak of international competition. And that’s what she loves about it. Privacy and anonymity, she says, is something you crave when you’re in the spotlight. 

“In my case I needed to move countries to do that. I’m okay with not being recognised.” (She was nonplussed, but gracious, when approached about an interview.)

It wasn’t always like that. In South Africa public recognition was a constant reality. 

“You could never just run quickly into the supermarket to grab some bread without putting makeup on, because they want you to look your best, every time – even at 2 o’clock in the morning.”

She admits being recognised was nice in the beginning, but less so as time went on.

“You want to be able to make mistakes and not be crucified for it. You become the property of your country, when you’re competing at that level. They claim you as their trophy.”

Public expectation was also intense – “if you got a silver at the last Olympics you’re expected to get a gold at the next one. You always had the pressure to do better and better.”

Living in New Zealand is about “having freedom, and also knowing my kids can grow into their own identity, without standing in my shadow. If everyone knew I was a high jump champion they would expect my children to be, obviously, athletes.”

Still, there are benefits to having a parent with her abilities. Although her son’s forte is swimming, he has been known to ask for tips when inter-school high jump is coming up.

Does she miss the competition?

Sometimes, when watching a major championship, she says she can feel those butterflies in her stomach.

“I wish I was there, I almost crave it again. It’s hard to explain.”

Meanwhile she maintains contact with some of her competitors, like Blanka Vlasic and Kasja Bergqvist. (Hestrie is fifth in World Athletics all-time top rankings; Vlasic of Croatia is second, Bergqvist of Sweden is fourth.)

She stays fit, goes to the gym every day, attends church and helps out with the mums and babies there. Saturdays are taken up with vinyl sales and family time. After working as a relief teacher and in property management she decided to work for herself. Her husband Christiaan has been selling vinyl records for a while and she now does her own thing in parallel, under the name Back in Time.

“I enjoy mingling with people. The music is playing and you’re singing along. Although if there’s something I want to know about a song I’ll call [Christiaan] and ask, which record will I find this on? I’m not totally into it like him, but I do enjoy the music.”

And despite the national flag under which she competed, Hestrie says she now supports the All Blacks – even when they take on the Springboks.

“We converted,” she laughs. “The whole family.”

Hestrie’s vinyl stall will be in Ōrewa on August 12 and at Silverdale’s Pioneer Village on August 26.