Morgann Leleux You’ve Got to Believe By Grant Overstake
Way down south in the Louisiana bayou, about as far as you can go before spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, sits the city of New Iberia - a proud Cajun stronghold with three languages on its historic street signs, which Forbes Magazine once called America’s Prettiest Town.
father Shane told the media. “Her maturity level is off the charts right now. I hate to use a baseball analogy, but I will. When she was on her third try at 4.70, it was like having three balls and two strikes with two outs in the ninth inning, and she was the last batter.
Whether dancing to a fiddle and accordion at a fais-do-do or relishing scalding hot food at year-round festivals, people down in New Iberia are dedicated to their signature expression: Laissez les bons temps rouler! Let the good times roll!
“And all she did was hit it out of the park.”
Rolling along with the good times going for them already, New Iberia is soon to be well-known for being the home sweet home of Morgann Photo credit: Morgann Leleux LeLeux Romero, Team USA pole vaulter and the town’s first-ever Olympic citizen.
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LeLeux, (who still competes under her maiden name) made the Olympic team when she placed second at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a third-attempt clearance of 4.70m (15-5) behind winner Katie Nageotte, 4.94m (16-2 ¾), to secure a spot for the delayed games of the XXXII Olympiad. Sandi Morris, the world’s No. 3-ranked pole vaulter and 2016 silver medalist, earned the third spot on the U.S. team after clearing 4.60m (15-1). “We’re still on cloud nine,” Morgann’s
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Her triumph was a team effort that includes her husband, Jacob Romero, her mom and dad Bridget and Shane, sisters Kristynn and Reagann, and of course, her support entourage: all the vaulters who’ve known her since, like forever; her followers on social media, the gymnasts she coaches at New Heights Gym; the legions of knee-worn prayer warriors and New Thought practitioners who believed with her, that “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Morgann’s second place finish came as a surprise only to those who don’t belong to the club of true believers who can actually, properly, pronounce her maiden name. After coming up short in two prior Trials, Morgann accomplished more than an Olympic perch on that third attempt. Many heartaches, doubts, and failures lay under the crossbar she vaulted over. LeLeux left for Tokyo on July 27th. The women’s pole vault, which promises
to be one of the most hotly contested events at these Games, will be held August 2nd and 5th. Because of Covid, everyone but coaches will watch the competition on TV. TAKEOFF Magazine spoke with Morgann by phone the morning after New Iberia honored their Olympian with a hometown parade. She spoke in joyful outbursts about her experiences before, during and after making the vault that changed everything. We discovered that Morgann altered her life in many ways in preparation for the Trials, physically, emotionally, mentally, and nutritionally. TAKEOFF: Congratulations, Morgann! You’ve been an Olympian for a week now. How does it feel? What a great homecoming you had! Morgann: It’s been insane! The love and support I have received from my hometown is unbelievable. The parade felt like my own Mardi Gras. It rained, but we had the best time ever and I signed autographs and took pictures with all of my local home people. TAKEOFF: Our magazine is focused on the mental and emotional aspects of sport: overcoming challenges, and cultivating perseverance. We hope to instill resiliency in the next generation of vaulters. Tell
