In 1991, Hannele Steyn was the foremost female triathlete in South Africa. With provincial and national titles over the three disciplines, the diminutive athlete's abilities were such that several elite men were looking over their shoulders. If Hannele was at a race, she was virtually assured of the win - and and high overall placing.
Yet there is a catch, something which is almost paradoxical with the Hannele Steyn of 2015.
With all of this mesmerizing athletic talent, Steyn was sponsored by a Cape Town pizza restaurant, frequenting it regularly. Surprising considering her current occupation as a health food entrepreneur and lifestyle coach.
"There were a few of us sponsored by Pizzaz in Rosebank," recounts Steyn at the annual Ride2Nowhere mountain bike event. "Carbo-loading was en vogue at the time and our training and racing habits meant huge appetites. I remember being invited to a dinner party one night where the portions of lasagne were simply not enough. We ended up at our sponsors' restaurant on the way home!"
Such is the diversity of Steyn's life journey that her current activities are almost destiny. After chasing the dream as a professional triathlete abroad, she returned to South Africa to become one of the foremost elite off-road cyclists, being the only female to have completed all twelve editions of the ABSA Cape Epic to this day.
"I specialize in extreme endurance events these days," says Steyn who only ceased pro competition due being hit by a car whilst training in 2007.
This setback resulted in two back fusions, yet Steyn managed her rehabilitation well enough to twice complete the 'Epic only months after surgery on both occasions.
"My motto as an athlete was no compromises and I certainly lived that out daily during my sports career. My sister would say that I was the most selfish person she knew - she was right!"
While Steyn's single-mindedness came in handy as an athlete, striking out on her own as an entrepreneur proved more challenging in this respect; there is so much else to consider than just pounding the pavement.
"I was single-minded as a pro athlete; you have to be in order to succeed. I was diagnosed with severe ADHD as a child and, while this helped to focus as an athlete, was far more difficult to overcome as a business owner.
"My first monthly earnings totalled R443-00," she recalls of her then home made and produced muesli blend. "My years of working for others were great for experience, but my independent nature meant that I needed to be my own boss and produce something that I believed in. I mean, why work for someone else and make them rich?"
Starting out as kitchen-based production in her Knysna home, Steyn has literally built her business from the ground up, all the while following a clear sense of purpose.
Passion4Wholeness is a health-orientated muesli range aimed at athletes of all levels, with options that are low on carbohydrates and high on healthy fats. Every ingredient has a reason is Steyn's personalised business strap line, words that she certainly believes in and lives by. And unsurprisingly, her own eating habits have evolved from her high-carb days into a healthier model based on her own intuition.
"I cut out wheat-products as I don't believe that they are necessarily very healthy. While the body does need carbohydrates, especially if one is an athlete, fruit and vegetables are a more than adequate source.
"My diet doesn't really have a name or category, though. For me it is more a case of getting enough of the three food groups rather than the 'everything in moderation mantra.'"
After several years of building up her food brand, Steyn has managed to self-market her products in such a way that they are now available in selected supermarkets in Cape Town and the Garden Route, as well as further afield in Gauteng and Mpumalanga. It has been a long and interesting journey but her "vasbyt" and pure motivation has eventually paid dividends, so much so that Passion4Wholeness is now mass-produced.
"I'm spending more and more time in Cape Town these days to market my products, although production and packaging side is now outsourced.
"Starting out in my kitchen was such an exciting and humble time," she says, adding that her personal business savvy and marketing strategy have also developed over the years.
"One of my favourite marketing ploys is to put a packet of my muesli on a table at a race briefing or meal and wait for someone to ask what it is and where they can get it.
"And once they ask I'm only too happy to tell all!"
Note: Header image courtesy of Shawn Benjamin and Ark Images.
For more archived triathlon images, click here and here.
