A LEAP INTO THE unknown

Camryn Givens

Some people know their passion from a young age, while others may stumble upon it accidentally. Camryn Givens, a senior at Miami Palmetto Senior High acted on a whim of fascination the day she discovered pole vaulting.

“I actually went to the wrong part of a track meet, and I saw someone pole vaulting freshman year and I was like, ‘Oh, I want to do that,’ and I eventually found a coach at the beginning of junior year and started,” Givens said.

This planted Givens’ initiative to participate in pole vaulting alongside track. Only starting pole vaulting as a junior, Givens has broken out of her comfort zone and soared.

Although Givens just recently began pursuing pole vaulting, she has already accomplished an array of accomplishments. Givens was a District Champion, Regional Champion and placed sixth at states. She continues to thrive on her ride to the top through all her hard work, practice, and dedication.

“...It takes a really long time to build these skills, so [Cameron] is really advanced, for starting when we started,” Brianna Romeo, Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High student and member of Given’s club team.

With track and pole vaulting taking up a large part of her life, Givens has connected with other kids her age and developed everlasting connections.

“...Most sports are so competitive and hard to make friends. But with Cameron, it was really easy. She is such a team player and a really good competitor…she really pushes my sister and I, and we are really good friends…,” Romeo said.

Balancing school, track and pole vaulting and more, Givens has a busy schedule. Luckily, she is surrounded by a great support system and provided with the necessary tools for success.

“My coach has a club that I am in, and [I] pay for the club which is actually really cheap for how good of a coach she is. All the money is put back into the club, so I do not have to buy poles or anything. The only thing I have to buy are my spikes, which are my shoes, and then I buy chalk [to] just [ensure] my hands do not slip on the bar,” Givens said.

At practice, vaulters warm up by sprinting and working with their poles. Then, they practice jumping and work on their form and technique.

“Every time a vaulter goes up a bar to be like

10 feet, and then if you clear that, you go to 10’6. Once you get three scratches where the bar falls, or you jump but you are not able to clear a bar, then you are out and that is where the final height is,” Givens said.

While some athletes spend years practicing to get attention from college athletic scouts, Givens already has an offer lined up with Clemson University. With college around the corner, this marks an opportunity of a lifetime.

“I was talking to the coach and he had followed me on Instagram and kind of showed his interest in me. So I emailed him like a couple of weeks later and said, ‘Hey, this is where I am at.’ He was like, ‘If you can clear 11’ 6,’’ I will let you walk on; you have a spot on the team,’ and I cleared 11’ 6’’ a couple of days ago,” Givens said.

Despite this impressive offer, Givens is still debating among several other colleges and whether she will pursue pole vaulting in college. Like many other seniors in highschool, Givens considers her future and possible career paths she may take.

“If I get far with pole vaulting like this is a big stretch, but if I do get to be like a world athlete like obviously, I would definitely do that. But honestly I want to go to college just to have a college experience, I was thinking of going to college to be a firefighter, which has nothing to do with it,” Givens said.

Pole vaulting is known to be extremely difficult as it involves immense upper body strength, practice and a keen eye to ensure the pole does not harm the player as they descend, and Givens has accumulated these skills quickly. Givens is a true treasure to MPSH’s athletics department with her versatile skills and unbeatable motivation. She shows her tremendous talent through her deep passion for her craft, which remains a valuable asset to have at such a young age.

Ava Garcia Managing Editor a.garcia.thepanther@gmail.com

Mia Shields Design Editor m.shields.thepanther@gmail.com

DESIGN BY MIA SHIELDS