Pole vaulting is arguably one the scariest and most technical track events you can do.

Now I’m doing it.

I’ve always kind of joked about doing pole vault but now that it’s a reality, it’s a lot harder than it looks.

All you have to do is sprint, plant, jump and throw your pole, right?

Wrong. So very wrong.

Since I am a first-year vaulter, I haven’t even gotten to the point where you’re going upside down but it’s still been hard.

You need abs. Like hardcore ab muscles.

On the days we don’t jump we’re doing drills and man, some of those are so hard.

We have “gymnastics” where we do round offs and back extensions over a bungee, we do bleacher workouts, and we get gymnastic rings hung up and hoist ourselves up then upside from them.

We even have some days we go to the Heskett Center at WSU for water vault training then we have drills after. Now those are a lot of fun but wow I don’t have hardly any upper body strength.

But one night at practice I got so frustrated and annoyed at myself I had to take a walk and take a moment to myself.

It’s challenging but I keep coming back to it because I kind of really like it. A lot.

The same night our little pole vault family all went to dinner and just laughed off all of our frustrations.

Next year is going to be different because since our coach Lillie Diaz is not able to be here every day for practice, the seniors pretty much coach us on the days she’s not here. 

I’m very thankful for them and my coach for all the encouragement they give me.

It’s going to be different next year without them here.

I wish track season went all year long because this has been so fun and a good challenge for me.