The mission of TAKEOFF Magazine is to inspire amateur athletes to personal greatness.
My name is Adele San Miguel, and I am the co-founder of Pole Vault Carolina, a training facility based in Durham, North Carolina.
TAKEOFF is the next iteration of our club’s mission: to coach the athlete to their highest self. I’m thrilled to have you on our runway.
In the summer of 2021, Team USA decathlete, Harrison Williams, limped out of the Olympic Trials at the University of Oregon injured, wearing an orthopedic walking boot, in a crushing 4th place. Surgery three months later brought training to a halt.
Fast forward to the 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships, and Harrison was back at Hayward Field with two things at stake: earn one of three spots on Team USA to compete in the decathlon at the World Championships, and prove what he knew he could do - win. This time, Harrison strode out of the stadium with a new personal best of 8630 and the gold medal.
TAKEOFF caught up with Harrison a week after the meet to talk about perseverance and how he used the injury to learn to trust himself. The interview is on page 14.
ClubHub features two outstanding seniors from Pole Vault Carolina, Ayana Jackson and Cooper Thomas. Their stories begin on page 8.
Recruited goes international this issue as Leah Granger interviewed Larissa Birtch who now attends the University of Windsor in Canada. Larissa’s story is on page 11.
Summer McNeill always has useful information on how pole vaulters can care for their health. In this issue, Summer covers the gut microbiome and the benefits of pre and probiotics on page 12.
Antonio San Miguel retired from pole vault at 13 years old and returned to the sport this year to represent Puerto Rico. Antonio has to do things his own way. His story is on page 24.
We swapped out Coach’s Critique this issue for Jack Tan’s Technique Takedown. Flip to page 20 to see the posters Jack created for our club, so vaulters of all skill levels can master their drills.
Thank you for joining us for issue #13!
All the Very Best, Adele
Recruited
Editor TAKEOFF Magazine
Antonio San Miguel - His Own Way
M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics
Post Collegiate Pole Vaulter
Nutrition: Prebiotics and Probiotics
Summer McNeill
Neuroscience student
Pole Vaulter, Middlebury College
Leah Granger
Jose R. San Miguel
Head Coach of Pole Vault Carolina
Harrison Williams Perseveres
Jack Tan
Pole Vault Carolina Athlete 2023 4A State Champion
There is plenty of debate on the merits of cross country running as a way to train for pole vault.
In our 13th year as a club, we have a few observations:
There are social benefits to participating in cross country, and for an athlete entering high school, they are hard to overlook. Cross country athletes train 2-3 hours a day with a few hundred other students, and as a way to make friends before school starts, it is an advantageous choice. Practice at a pole vault club gathers students from all over the county, from neighboring counties, and from public and private schools. An athlete may not find new friends they will attend school with at club practice.
As a way to get in shape for pole vault season though, cross country requires a second thought. Cross country running develops slow twitch muscle fibers that are needed for endurance, whereas pole vault is a sprint that requires power and explosiveness, which are developed through quick, forceful movements. Months of long distance training enforce muscle firing patterns opposite to those needed for success as a pole vaulter.
When athletes return to pole vault following their cross country seasons in late October, they are slower on the runway. Their bodies need to be re-
trained to sprint. How long does this take? From what we’ve seen, 90 days.
With so many miles on their legs, cross country vaulters are prone to shin splints. As young athletes, many do not understand, and cannot implement, the amount of rehabilitation needed to maintain their bodies optimal performance. Shin splints hinder the run and the physics of pole vault do not allow for an explosive takeoff without an all out sprint.
Developmentally, athletes returning to pole vault are 90 days behind their teammates who have trained to jump through the pre-season. Pre-season athletes have worked on their approach, takeoff, and swing. They are strength training. The cross country pole vaulter notices the difference in their own speed and abilities. This awareness causes their confidence to falter and their frustration to mount.
Indoor season is actually pre-season for the cross country vaulter. This is their time to work on speed, strength, and technique. These athletes must manage their expectations and instead of getting disheartened during indoors, should look ahead to outdoor season and summer track.
In cross country, the top 6 athletes compete and the other athletes, hundreds of them in some cases, act as support. For the time they spend
running miles each week, very few get the chance to shine in competition.
In pole vault, everyone jumps if they are part of a club. Each athlete has the chance to see what they can do with a pole, a runway, and a bar.
An opportunity cost is what you give up in order to do something else.
As vault coaches we ask, if you are going to dedicate 2-3 hours a day, 6 days a week to something, will you finish in the top ten or twenty in the state in that sport? What if you took that same 18 hours a week and put it toward becoming faster, stronger, and a better technician in the pole vault? What height could you achieve? That height is the opportunity cost for doing cross country.
If a high school pole vaulter has collegiate aspirations, a college coach may wonder why the athlete did not prioritize year-long training for an event that requires power, explosiveness, and in-air body awareness.
Choosing cross country over pre season pole vault is a personal decision, and one that should be informed. There are exceptions to what is stated here, but exceptions by nature are outliers. Pole vaulting is a commitment and a dedicated pole vaulter has to train differently than athletes in other sports.
The summer before Ayana Jackson’s sophomore year in high school, her mother signed her up for a Beginner’s Clinic at Pole Vault Carolina. She was tired of Ayana lying around the house and knew her daughter loved unusual activities. Ayana appreciated the speed, power, and grace of the sport, the same elements she enjoyed about gymnastics.
To be successful in pole vault, Ayana believes you have to detach the ego. She has struggled with injuries and perfectionism. Like many former gymnasts, her perspective on her performance was either good or bad. She has grown and can now allow herself to fail and make a correction, rather than not try at all out of fear.
Aya loves to prove herself wrong so when she gets over a bar that previously looked like a mountain, it is a feeling of great accomplishment. Her favorite pole vault memory was clearing 12’ and being congratulated by her mother’s former coach who appreciated seeing Aya achieve a goal and do it with enthusiasm.
Through pole vault, Aya knows she can do anything she sets her mind to. Taking a cue from from Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality and Muhammad Ali’s mantra “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, Ayana programs her brain before practices and meets. She creates a plan of execution with a side of unwavering belief. Ayana is working on her
takeoff position, keeping her left arm pushing and being patient with the swing instead of yanking the pole immediately.
Now a senior at Hillside High School in Durham, Ayana plans to vault at the collegiate level and study psychology and business. Her long term goal is to become a sports psychologist. Ayana is the captain of her track team, secretary for the Student Government Association, and is a member of four honor societies!
Photo provided by Ayana Jackson
Cooper Thomas is an exception.
When he attended track practice in the spring of 2023 and witnessed some pole vaulters going over a bungee, Cooper knew he wanted to excel at the sport, but he had never picked up a pole.
Cooper cleared 7’6” at his first meet. He sought coaching at Pole Vault Carolina and improved a whopping five and a half feet to jump 13’ at regionals. Cooper placed 11th at the 4A NCSHAA Outdoor State Championships. By the end of summer track, Cooper improved his personal best again to 13’10”. This is not a normal trajectory for a new vaulter, but Cooper spent 10 years of his life as a gymnast and he also competes in swimming and springboard diving. In anticipation of a military career, Cooper runs every day. In pole vault, he simply knows where his body is in the air.
Outside of sports, Cooper is involved in the Boy Scouts of America, the National Honor Society, and he contributes regularly to the betterment of his community. Cooper received the Most Improved Athlete Award for Cleveland High School’s spring track team.
“Cooper is respectful, coachable, committed, and has great athleticism. He believed we could help him, and that belief helped him improve quickly. Cooper is mentally strong. It is hard to quantify what Cooper can accomplish because he is only
beginning.” says Coach Jose.
If Cooper had the opportunity to learn from an elite vaulter, it would be Mondo Duplantis. Cooper has been told that he swings like the world champ.
Cooper’s favorite pole vault memory was the 4A regional meet at Willow Springs High School. It was the first time he competed on a 14’ pole and he cleared 13’ for a new personal best!
Resiliency describes Larissa Birtch’s path to earning a spot on Canada’s University of Windsor track and field team. Larissa began pole vaulting in August of 2020, going into 10th grade. It was not an easy time to maintain training, let alone begin the sport.
Before COVID-19, Larissa was a gymnast and was looking for a new sport when things started to reopen the summer of 2020. She tried pole vault at London Western Track Club in her hometown of London, Ontario. With her gymnastics background, Larissa picked up vaulting with ease, but one month in, the pandemic forced the club to shut down again.
Larissa got creative with ways to stay in shape, including doing app-run workouts in her basement and virtual gym classes with her school. Although isolated, she was intentional about taking care of her mental and physical health, staying connected with her friends over Facetime, and keeping up with her schoolwork virtually.
Since her club is on the Western University campus, the COVID rules were strict. They moved all their gear to an ice rink where they had more liberty with their decisions over whether to hold practices. Larissa joked this was a “very Canadian” thing to do. The mats, raised runway, and poles all made it to the new location. Even at the rink, they had to shut down on and off over the following months. Larissa says “it would open back up and we would all get back to where we were before, and then we would get shut down again. Basically, that was our whole first indoor experience.”
During the summer of 2021, the club vaulters went to a high school to do drills with poles on the grass. In order to vault they had to drive an hour to one of the university coach’s backyard pits. That year there was no indoor competition season. 2022 was Larissa’s first full season vaulting.
With so few opportunities to compete, it is not easy adjusting to a competition environment. Larissa remarks, “I have struggled with the mental side of it, like overthinking once the bar goes up.” However, she is developing coping mechanisms including listening to music with her teammates and focusing on the sim-
ple cue “punch the sky” to keep her mind calm.
The difficult start to her career meant Larissa did not see vaulting in university as a possibility. Her high school guidance counselor mentioned the idea her senior year. To her counselor she replied, “I feel like I need to continue this, it just makes me so happy.” With that spark, she reached out to schools she was interested in through the Canadian recruiting portal. She was drawn to the programs at New Brunswick and the University of Windsor.
Larissa’s club coach, Rachael Wolfs, an alumna of Windsor, encouraged Larissa to visit the school and meet her former coach, Kevin DiNardo. Rachael initially went to Windsor for hurdles and only began vaulting once she was there. It is difficult to be both a stellar athlete and an influential coach, but Rachael naturally fills both roles. Larissa comments, “She doesn’t just care about the sport, she also cares about us all individually.” Rachel creates individualized workouts for the athletes, including strength programs to use outside of practice.
Larissa trusted Rachael’s recommendation of Windsor, visited the school, and practiced with the team. It was a perfect fit, and Larissa officially signed with them.
There are other aspects of pole vaulting in Canada that are more difficult than in the United States. The cold weather means indoor facilities are a must. Due to the steep price of these facilities, they are few and far between. If you do not join club vaulting, chances are you will never have the option to try the sport. Those who do manage to excel, tend to leave Canada for the U.S., where there is easier access and more support for the athletes.
Larissa challenges her limitations and goes beyond what is expected from her on the track. She is motivated by sheer love for the sport. Rachel describes her as “hard working and driven. Every day she wants to be better.” Larissa had a new personal best this February, and she feels optimistic a new height is on the horizon. Rachel agrees, saying “She has been getting stronger. She might not see it, but I do.”
Photo provided by Tim ReillyGut health has been a hot topic on social media lately. With words like microbiome, gut flora, prebiotic, and probiotic being thrown around in wellness ads, tik toks, and placed on food and health products. With so much information out there, it can get confusing and overwhelming to understand what all these things mean.
The word “microbiome” refers to a community of microorganisms that can be found living together in a given habitat. The gut microbiome is a complex system of trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites living within the digestive tract; some good, some bad, some neutral. When people hear the word “gut,” they often think of the stomach, however, the term “gut microbiome” actually refers to the whole digestive tract, with the highest concentration on microbes found in the small and large intestines. The microbiome plays a number of roles in supporting the health of the host; microbiota stimulate the immune system, break down toxins, and synthesize certain vitamins and amino acids, such as vitamin K. Disruption of the gut microbiome has been linked to constipation, diarrhea, bloating, fatigue, acid reflux, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and a number of other conditions. It is important to note that if you are currently experiencing any of these systems you should seek the guidance of a medical professional.
According to most current research, the gut microbiome is thought to begin developing at birth; the composition
By Summer McNeillof the gut microbiome is influenced by a number of factors, including illness, antibiotics, medications, diet, environment, and even the way in which someone is born (cesarean vs vaginal). In the first few months of life the microbiome is generally low in microbial diversity, but tends to resemble that of an adult by 2.5 years.
Now that we have a basic understanding of the gut microbiome, let’s talk pre- and probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Prebiotics are non-digestible plant fibers, or carbohydrates, from food that the gut ferments to produce beneficial chemicals.
Basically, prebiotics are the food for probiotics and we need both of them to create a healthy gut microbiome.
The best way to support a healthy gut is to increase the variety of pre- and probiotic foods you are consuming. While there are many prebiotic and probiotic supplements available on the market, I always recommend taking a food first approach to diet; especially because it can be so easy to increase pre- and probiotics through food alone.
Prebiotics are found in a plethora of natural fiber containing foods. If you eat a balanced diet you are probably getting plenty of prebiotics already.
Eat more fruits and vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains to increase prebiotics; and don’t forget to include as much variety as you can. This will provide your good bacteria with plenty of food and energy to support a healthy microbiome.
Probiotics are found in fermented or cultured foods. Different types of fermented foods will provide you with different types of bacteria. Naturally containing probiotic foods include, yogurt (with live and active cultures), kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, miso, tamari, tempeh, kombucha, aged cheese (with live and active cultures), and buttermilk.
If you are not used to eating probiotic foods, start slowly and then gradually increase your consumption. Try to pair pre and probiotic foods together in the same meal so they can work together during digestion.
Conclusion
Prebiotics and probiotics are essential components of a healthy gut microbiome and overall health and wellness. Supporting your gut microbiome can be easily achieved by increasing your intake of the pre- and probiotic foods mentioned above.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline
Photo credit: ISAPP
In the summer of 2021, Team USA decathlete, Harrison Williams, limped out of the Olympic Trials at the University of Oregon injured, wearing an orthopedic walking boot, in a crushing 4th place. Surgery three months later brought training to a halt.
Fast forward to the 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships, and Harrison was back at Hayward Field with two things at stake: earn one of three spots on Team USA to compete in the decathlon at the World Championships, and prove what he knew he could do - win. This time, Harrison strode out of the stadium with a new personal best of 8630 and the gold medal.
We caught up with Harrison a week after the meet to talk about perseverance and how he used the injury to learn to trust himself.
TAKEOFF: Harrison, thank you for your time. How are you and your family?
Harrison: We are all well. My parents, big sister, nephew, niece, and brother-in-law were there to watch me compete. My mom and dad will be in Budapest as well as my little sister, so that’ll be awesome.
TAKEOFF: What are some things you have learned about yourself through track and field, particularly through your return from injury?
Harrison: The biggest thing I’ve learned is that I am very good at not giving up when I really want something. Earlier in life, I wasn’t super confident in my abilities, but by dealing with that injury and coming back, I’ve gained belief in myself. I can do anything as long as I don’t give up and just keep pushing.
TAKEOFF: Are you fully rehabbed now?
Harrison: I had the surgery in November of 2021. It took almost a full year to feel 100% normal again. It was a long, long recovery. I didn’t run or train until October of 2022.
TAKEOFF: How did you mentally stay in the game?
Harrison: The injury did a lot for me mentally because it allowed me think about life outside of track. During the pandemic when everything shut down, I kind of had an identity crisis, because I realized that outside of track, I didn’t have a lot going on. So that and then the injury helped me gain perspective and work on myself to become a full person outside of track. Once I
came back, I had a better appreciation for what track is. I returned with a fresh mindset.
TAKEOFF: What have you done differently this time around than you did before you were injured?
Harrison: The injury taught me to be more conservative in training. In college, I had the mindset to go hard, and that training has to hurt. I thought I had to do everything written on the workout sheet. The injury forced me to see the workout sheet as a suggestion of what to do and it can be dependent on how I feel every day.
I’ve learned my limits in practice. I know when I’ve gotten a good workout in and one more rep isn’t going to make me 4-5 seconds faster, but one extra rep could give me a little bit of injury, and if that happens, I can’t come back the next day to train.
Knowing when to stop training and when to push has been the number one thing. This has set me up better. Usually by the time I get to USA’s, I’ve felt burnt out physically because I trained too hard thinking I need all this volume. This year I did a much better job pacing myself and making sure that once I got to USA’s, I was feeling really good.
Photo credit: Pole Vault Carolina
TAKEOFF: That’s a great learning. Outside of track, what are you doing?
Harrison: I’ve made friends here in San Diego. It has been nice to separate track and normal life. I go to the beaches a lot and decompress that way. I’ll do a little traveling after the season’s over.
TAKEOFF: Are you training by yourself or with a group?
Harrison: I train at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center with a lot of Paralympic athletes. It’s really cool to see how the athletes adapt to their disabilities and train around them. I don’t train with any decathletes regularly, although this year I did train with some Chinese decathletes for about three months. They didn’t speak English; we used the translator a lot, but it was good to have people next to me, especially in running workouts. And then I train with Annie Kunz. She’s a heptathlete and we’ve been training together since 2020.
TAKEOFF: And Kris Mack is your coach?
Harrison: Yes, he actually wasn’t in Eugene. He was in Paris for the Paralympic World Championships while I was competing. That was a challenge, but honestly, I liked being able to just rely on myself during the competition. It was a confidence boost to know that I can score big doing my own thing.
TAKEOFF: The decathlon is a series of mental struggles to overcome. How did you plan for that?
Harrison: In the past, I’ve relied too much on just what my coach told me without figuring out how my body is supposed to feel. I’ve been
surrounded by great coaches, but knowing that Mack wasn’t going to be at USA’s forced me to rely on myself, learn the event, and figure out what my body was supposed to do, like how to throw the shotput the furthest for me, versus what the ideal technique is. In the decathlon, it’s just you on the track for 16 hours over two days. You’ve got to know the event well and really trust that you can perform when you need to.
TAKEOFF: When the other competitors were being pushed by their coaches, who was giving you direction?
Harrison: A couple of coaches gave me guidance and I’m very, very thankful for them. Jeremy Fischer is the jumps coach at the training center. He helped me out in high jump and a couple other events. Bashir Ramsey helped me out in the long jump. He flew out to Oregon just to help me and Annie. Coach John Dagata, assisted in all three of the throws, which were my best events so obviously something worked there. I was on my own for the 400m and 100m. There’s not a lot of coaching you can do for the 400m, like go fast and endure the pain.
Dan Lefever was a volunteer coach at Stanford when I was there. I went into that event nervous because I didn’t have anyone solid to coach me. Coach Nic from Florida was going to come over and watch me pole vault, but he was with Anna Hall at the long jump, so he missed my warm ups. I was getting nervous, and then I saw Coach Lefever in the stands, and that gave me a lot of confidence because he’s a great pole vault coach who’s coached me before. It was a last second saving grace to have him there. All the coaches are willing to help you which is something I appreciate about track and field.
TAKEOFF: Going into the nationals, did you expect to win?
Harrison: I wouldn’t say expect to win, but I knew I could. In the decathlon there’s a lot of things you can’t control, so I try not to go into any meets expecting to win. I scored 8492 at Mount SAC Relays, and had a great first day, but that second day it was 60 degrees and rainy. I was ready for a big number and the weather probably took a couple hundred points off my score. I knew coming in that I had the potential to score 8600 plus. I just had to execute what I had been training.
TAKEOFF: Was there a turning point at USA’s when you knew where it was going, or were you pushing the whole time?
Harrison: Being in the lead after day one, I realized l was on pace for a big score. I’ve never led a decathlon after day one at a big meet like USA’s or NCAA’s. I’m always in fourth or fifth, and then I usually go up the standings on the second day because I’m a good hurdler, discus thrower, and pole vaulter.
Day two means hurdles. I held back a little bit on the hurdles because you want to just make it through the race, as you’re not feeling great that second day. If I could have any event back, it would be the hurdles because I think I can run faster. Every other event was just 100% effort.
TAKEOFF: How were you feeling about your performance in the pole vault?
Harrison: I mean, 5.20 is pretty good. The second thing I could have back would be my third attempt at 5.30 because I executed very well, but I was on a pole that was too small.
I’ve been jumping well and doing a good job of predicting when I need to go up poles.
I didn’t think about that third attempt because going up third attempt is a little sketchy, but I should have because I hit a good takeoff and a fast swing and that overloaded the pole. I hit it on the way up. But, you know, I can’t be too sad with 5.20m.
TAKEOFF: You waited a long time for a personal best in the javelin. Tell us about that.
Harrison: That was the highlight of the meet by far. I mean, 59m. I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself over the last ten years because I’m 6’5”, I’m fast, I’m strong, I have long arms, I should be good at the javelin, but some things never clicked.
I last PR’d in 2014 at the World Junior Championships. For the next nine and a half years, I probably can name four javelin practices that I actually felt went well. I dreaded throwing the javelin because I knew it was going to put me in a bad mood. It was so frustrating. And finally, on my first warm up throw at the meet, it felt like something connected.
I felt strong and relaxed. I opened up with a 55m throw which was a meter under my personal best. If you can open up with a throw that’s close to your PR, then you’re in a very good position because you can push a little harder on each throw and build it up.
On the second throw, I executed my cues exactly and added more energy and it was 59m. I screamed so hard after that, nine years of frustration coming out. I’m really excited for that event now because I actually feel like I know what to do.
TAKEOFF: You knew you had it during the 1500m and you still ran hard. What emotions were going through your mind at that time?
Harrison: I can run a fast 1500, I just need a reason to run it. I thought scoring 8700 would be a good enough reason. But mentally, you’re in so much pain that your brain starts to rationalize and you start making deals with yourself. Like, maybe I don’t have to run hard. I ran two good laps right at my pace, and then the third lap, I got stuck in a no man’s land where Austin (West) had pulled away. I had no one near me so it was hard to mentally stay in it. I got distracted by the moment, by the crowd, by realizing that I was about to win. 4:35 is not the greatest time, but if I’m running for a medal or a really big score, I can run faster. That third lap really gets me.
TAKEOFF: Did you soak in the moment?
Harrison: It didn’t really sink in until about halfway through that 1500 that I was going to win. It was a really cool moment to feel that crowd. I crossed the finish line and hugged my nephew and my mom. I saw the rest of my family on the victory lap.
TAKEOFF: After the high highs of winning and the pain of what you accomplished, you have six weeks to get back into mental and physical shape for the World Championships. How will you do it?
Harrison: I’m going to take a week to recover. Easy workouts, because as you get later in the season, you need a little bit more time to recuperate. My body is feeling great. I enjoy the grind and routine of training and have to force myself not to get back at it too fast. Routine is the best way to lock yourself in.
TAKEOFF: What are you aiming for at the World Championships?
Harrison: I think I have the potential to score high. Obviously when I get closer to the meet, I’ll be more nervous. It’s a different mindset than at USA’s because on the one hand, you want to score high, but you also have to make sure you make the team at the bare minimum. There’s the nervousness of, if one thing goes wrong, I might not make the team. Now I’m on the team, and the gloves can come off and I can give 110% in every event. I’m excited to see what I can do when I’m not holding back.
TAKEOFF: Have any other world class decathletes given you advice?
Harrison: I talked to Zach Zimeck about the timing to go to Worlds and how long he likes to give himself before he competes. I’ve talked to other athletes over the years. Before Doha in 2019, I talked to Trey (Hardee) and he gave me good advice about how to deal with the mental side of the event. Everyone is willing to help and it’s a brotherhood. We have a really fun time.
TAKEOFF: If you were going to inspire a young athlete, what would you tell them?
Harrison: Don’t give up. If you really want to do something, you have to show up every day and do it. Show up, get the training in, and then trust yourself.
I wish I trusted myself earlier on to know what I had the ability to do. I relied too much on external validation, which can lead to burnout, but really just trust yourself and never give up.
Photo credit: Chuck Aragon
Pole Vault Carolina athlete Jack Tan created educational posters showng a series of drills to assist with the Plant, the Takeoff, and the Swing. Jack is a rising junior at Wakefield High School in Raleigh, North Carolin a. Jack is the 2023 Indoor NCHSAA 4A State Champion.
Antonio San Miguel stepped onto the pole vault runway when he was 6 years old. It is our family business and he has grown up in the sport. There was a pole vault pit in the backyard at the time, with the grill parked nearby, so club athletes could warm their hands on cold winter days when their breath hung visibly in the air.
When he was a rising 7th grader, Antonio’s run and takeoff were text book. He took 2nd place at AAU Junior Olympics Nationals. Then the pandemic hit and isolation set in. A middle schooler who attended classes online, Antonio grew resentful at practices. He pulled up his hoodie, yanked the strings closed, and listened to his music. We reluctantly let him stay home and missed him at practice. He loved having the house to himself. At the age of thirteen, Antonio retired.
Antonio hung a long bag in the garage and started boxing. He did push-ups, thousands of them, with his feet on the weight bench and his hands gripping dumb bells on the ground. Antonio stopped worrying about the expectations that come from being the coach’s son and started figuring out who he is. Away from our watchful eyes, he built physical and mental strength.
Once away from the sport, Antonio started his own clothing brand. Cloud Divine Clothing was born of a need for affordable streetwear, clothing teenagers can buy with their part-time work money.
On his own, Antonio found a manufacturer in Pakistan, built a website, added Shopify, and used his own money to buy a label maker. He booked four brand deals with up-and-coming music artists. Antonio organized photo shoots and dropped 5 lines of clothing and accessories. His brand is now available on Amazon. Antonio is our third child and by this time, we had figured out how to let go. Antonio knows how to follow his own inner guide; our job is support and encouragement.
Still, ours is a family that values sport. It’s not about the wins, but about what is learned through adversity, challenging oneself, and learning to be coachable. In the summer of 2022, Pole Vault Carolina hosted a decathlon and Antonio participated. He jumped his PR in the pole vault after two years away and exuberantly ripped off his tank top after the 1500m, feeling a strong sense of accomplishment.
In April 2023, a spring break trip to Puerto Rico got Antonio in touch with his raices (roots). He asked if
he could compete for Puerto Rico like his siblings, Jose and Sofia, did.
We returned to Puerto Rico in early June for nacionales. On a day with excessive heat warnings, at a lovely track nestled in the Cordillera Central mountains at the Universidad Ana G Mendez, Antonio won the U20 and U18 event in the pole vault with a jump of 4.05m.
The joy of the day came from the confidence Antonio acquired. We interviewed Antonio for TAKEOFF the same way we interviewed Jenn and Rick Suhr, Hana and Amanda Moll, and Harrison Williams, except in our case, Antonio was upstairs in the bonus room and I was at the dining room table.
TAKEOFF: Tell us about your experience at Puerto Rican Nationals.
Antonio: This was my first time competing outside of the U.S. and my first time competing in Puerto Rico. At every meet I’ve ever been to, I’ve at least known one person there. I didn’t know anyone on that runway. I enjoyed that meet because of the overall vibe and the atmosphere. It wasn’t stressful. Everyone was laughing and having a good time.
TAKEOFF: How was the meet different than a meet in the States?
Photo credit: Pole Vault Carolina
Antonio: So unfortunately, with the way track has been going in the States, the liveliness of the big meets has gone down. There’s not as much turn up from people and they aren’t cheering as much. It also feels more stressful because you’ll see some coaches yelling mad and kids crying. It’s a lot of commotion. Granted, the sprinting events happened elsewhere, but there were track and other field events happening. I didn’t see a single person cry. Everyone was having a good time even though it was almost a hundred degrees there.
TAKEOFF: You competed for la patria (mother country). Your father competed in this same event. What did that mean to you?
Antonio: In the moment I didn’t feel any different. But afterwards, once everyone was congratulating me and his old teammates came up to talk to me about it, I was like, oh, so this is a big deal.
TAKEOFF: What has your season been like up until now?
Antonio: It wasn’t until recently that I became hungry and started taking this more seriously. It’s been weird because at the home meets, I have struggled, and at the away meets, I’ve excelled. I think I’m learning more about what my best environment is to compete in and that I like going to other meets because I tend to do better under a little bit of pressure. This is also my first few months really
back into it, so it is interesting seeing the progress.
TAKEOFF: You took a long break during the pandemic…
Antonio: I did. But even before the pandemic, I had mentally checked out. I was ready to be done. I had lost interest. I had been around the sport a lot and when you’re 13, a lot of you changes as a person, but also how you see everything changes. I didn’t want to be around pole vault at all. I just went for something that I thought I would enjoy and picked up boxing.
I transferred the boxing mindset over to pole vaulting when I started training again, meaning that I don’t care
how big the pole is, I’m going to be aggressive. If you analyze my jump, my run and my takeoff is aggressive. I’m trying to crush every single pole, so I’m not scared of going on big poles.
That’s why I’ve been able to progress without a good swing, or a good turn. I’m actually happy I took that break because it allowed me to develop a different mindset. I’m not scared of trying something new. I told Coach, put me on the biggest pole you want me on. Let’s go.
TAKEOFF: What was the process of coming back for you?
Antonio: Over 50 people tried to talk me back into pole vault, and I blew them off, because I wasn’t ready. The process of coming back was, first, I got dragged to the track because Pole Vault Carolina hosted a decathlon and y’all had told me I was competing. I didn’t know where my step was and I didn’t know what pole to use and I jumped my personal best of 10’6 after not having jumped in over two years.
Then, Jackson Millet of Mt. Pleasant Track Club encourged me to jump at a meet, We had competed together years before. I was the DJ at the meet. I put down my headphones and picked up a pole, PR’ing by one and a half feet.
At that point I had to admit to myself that maybe I know what I’m doing. I took another break and then heard about the nationals meets and I wanted a new backpack because my old one was starting to break. It was fun for me again, so I just kept going.
TAKEOFF: What exercises were you doing for boxing that benefited you in the pole vault?
Antonio: The bag work helped my cardio and I did excessive amounts of push-ups which helped my plant. I was just able to translate boxing to pole vault, which is weird because they look like two completely different sports. Boxing is a combat sport and pole vaulting is a combat sport with yourself. Some vaulters mess up a jump and think they are terrible and have to fight with themselves to believe they can be good. I just transferred the mentality from boxing, where I have to beat another person, to pole vault where I have to beat the bar. Boxing did help me physically, but it really made a difference for me mentally.
TAKEOFF: What would you like TAKEOFF readers to know about your pole vault journey?
Antonio: Just because you lose interest in something doesn’t mean that it’s gone forever. You can come back around to it. Now I’m like, let’s go to all the meets.
Don’t give up on something just because you hate it. It’s okay to take a break. Pole vaulting is one of the
hardest sports, because it is full body, and it’s mental. Once you get mentally exhausted of something, it is super hard to do it. You can come back way better than you were before because the break gives you time to get mentally fit.
TAKEOFF: What’s next for you?
Antonio: Right now, I’m just waiting for the call to represent Puerto Rico in some meets.
TAKEOFF: And what is your goal as a pole vaulter?
Antonio: To represent my country and crush my next pole. I don’t have intentions of going to the Olympics. if the opportunity came about, obviously I would take it. My intention is to represent my country well. I am doing this for the pride of being Puerto Rican.
TAKEOFF: Thank you for your time, Antonio!
Antonio: You got it. I’ll see you downstairs in a minute.
