Shelby holding their dog Miles, and Lizzy. Photo / Supplied
Shelby holding their dog Miles, and Lizzy. Photo / Supplied
Moviemakers call it a “meet-cute” - an amusing first encounter between two characters that leads to the development of a romantic relationship. Every fortnight, the Herald on Sunday’s Reset magazine shares a real-life relationship origin story.
Michelle Hyslop, known as Shelby, is a photographer. Her fiancee, Elizabeth Mitchell, known as Lizzy, is a production manager in the steel manufacturing industry. Lizzy is expecting their first child in early May. The couple, who live in Auckland, met at a kayaking club in 2017 as they prepared to compete in the Coast to Coast.
Lizzy says…
Shelbs had organised a paddle training group and she was late. I just remember this ball of energy coming into the room and I thought, “Oh, my God, who is this?”
A few of us went out for breakfast and I think that’s when we started talking. I found Shelbs very endearing and engaging. I was intrigued – who is this person who’s just walked into my life?
A couple of weeks later, we organised to do a multi-sport event in Cambridge with a friend. [Our accommodation] was freezing. It was the middle of winter, and the heat pump was broken. We cranked up the oven, put the oven door down and played cards on the oven door. It was fun – we had a couple of drinks and were getting to know each other.
That’s probably when we started to have a bit of a crush on each other, but Shelby was still very straight. She just didn’t know she was gay! [Lots of laughing.]
Not long after that, we went to a mountaineering talk together and we both had stuff stolen from my car. I got a call from somebody saying, “We’ve found your stuff,” and I organised to pick it up.
I said to Shelbs, “Hey, do you want to go out for dinner? We have something to do on the way there.” It was in the back blocks of Mt Albert, and I think Shelbs was nervous [because she didn’t know what was going on]. I wanted it to be a surprise – okay, bad idea! We got our stuff, and we were stoked and relieved.
Shelbs knew I was gay, but I didn’t want her to think I was taking her out for a romantic dinner date. We went somewhere casual, so I still had a get-out-of-jail-free card if I’d got the wrong idea. We got very chatty and cosy and then went to Shelby’s.
It’s still disputed to this day, but I think Shelby kissed me, but Shelbs thinks we kissed each other. I went home and after that, we were both very smitten.
Lizzy (left) and Shelby have giggles and fun and amazing adventures. Photo / Supplied
We just adore having each other in our lives – the giggles and fun we have together and all the adventures we have are amazing. I feel so drawn to her. Within a month or so of meeting her I was like, “Yeah, this is definitely the person I want to be with forever.”
The proposal was pretty cheesy. I’d collected photos of our adventures – going for tramps and weekends away. We went to Vanuatu for a holiday, and I talked to Shelby’s parents beforehand. I didn’t tell Shelby I’d done that, but I forgot to tell Shelby’s parents, ‘Don’t tell her I’ve come around to see you.’
She found out and thought it was weird I’d gone to see her parents without her. Every couple of days in Vanuatu this came up in conversation.
We were in the room, Shelbs had had a shower and was having a gin and tonic in bed, with a towel wrapped around her head. I went and got the photos and written on the back of them was, “You’re the love of my life, will you marry me?”
Shelby says…
It wasn’t my fault I was late [to kayaking]. I just want everyone to know that! I had a friend who was coming with me, and he was trying to work out how to tie his kayak on to the car. We got to the kayaking club, and I was probably a little bit flustered because we were late.
Paddling in the river, I remember very clearly that Lizzy was streaks ahead of everybody else. And I was like, “Oh my God, that’s not fair. She’s really good already. And this is a beginners’ grade.” She had a singlet on and her muscles! It was like, “Holy s***, why was she in our group? She’s amazing.”
I told her she looked like Lisa Carrington and I thought she was really offended because she hid behind her paddle [she was self-conscious]. I was like, “Oh, no, I’ve said the wrong thing. I’ve made someone feel weird about their body. Oh, Shelby, why do you have such a big mouth?”
I remember after meeting her, jumping back in the car with the person I’d come with and saying to him, “You have to date her. She is so amazing. I want her in my life.” And then I was like, “If you don’t date her I will.” Even though I hadn’t dated a woman before, I was just so compelled by her. She was a goddess.
During the weekend in Cambridge when Lizzy mentioned something about her ex, I said “he”, and she said, well, “she”. After that, I thought, “Oh my gosh, she’s amazing. Could this be an option for me?” I just felt this energy with her.
That night I remember I googled on my phone “is sexuality fluid?” I was nervous and excited and also a bit unsure. I was drawn to Lizzy more than I had been drawn to anyone before that.
[In Vanuatu] As soon as I saw “You’re the love of my life”, I was like, “Yes!!”
At Lizzy’s core, who she is as a person is such a wonderful, amazing, cool person. As time goes on, that doesn’t change. I love her more and more. I still feel excited to see Lizzy, even though I see her every day.
