Hestrie Cloete of South Africa qualifies for the high jump final (© Getty Images)
I really enjoyed Christmas this year. My coach gave me 3 days off and I certainly took advantage of it! On Christmas Day, I went waterskiing with my husband, my sister, my brother in law and their three children, just outside Coligny, a small farming town in the North West Province of South Africa. We spend almost all the day on the boat and enjoyed the great weather.
In the evening we ate 'Potgie'. It's a mixture of vegetables and meat and is prepared on a barbeque. It was so great to relax for a few days. It has been a madhouse since I was honoured 'Athlete of the Year' by the International Athletic Foundation and before I knew it, my rest period was over and I had to start training again.
On December 27, I started my 'wintertraining' again. 'Wintertraining' basically means that I do a lot of everything, except jumping. Because I’d already had 3 days off for Christmas, I could not really celebrate New Year's Eve and decided to stay home with my husband and some friends.
All the best for the New Year
Hestrie
Hestrie Cloete (RSA)
World Champion at High Jump. 2003 Female World Athlete of the Year
