NATIONALS 2018 // GOLD COAST

GOLD COAST: I was getting ready for the warm up on the track. I put my spikes on and walk over to take my poles out – but I realised these were not my poles…

Nationals this year is held in Gold Coast, where you can qualify for the Commonwealth Games that is going to be held on the same stadium in April.

As I am not Australian I would not be able to qualify but I can still place in Nationals.

I was getting ready to do some warm-up jumps on the track as we were preparing for the qualifying rounds to begin. I opened up my pole vault bag and drag the poles out. However, these poles were not mine, but belonged to another person in my club. The pole bags had been switched in Sunshine Coast!

I panicked. I run over to Ray and we were able to find another girl that had similar poles to what I had back home. I get a pole in my hand and realise that if I do not give this a shot, I’m out. I run through, 3-4 times. I can’t believe this is happening and I realise I’m about to give up.

Mentally, it is pretty hard to jump from another pole when all your trust have been put in the ones you have left back home. But I knew I could do it, I just needed to hold on and land on the mat.

And I suddenly managed to do that 5 min before the warm up we’re over, and then manages to get in a second one before the comp begins.

I start on 3.40. No expectations just pure adrenaline. I go clear. 3.60, I clear that one in first attempt as well. Next height is 3.75, 5 cm over my personal best (on my own poles!).

I clear it, first attempt. I had no idea what was going on. How did I manage to go from full on panic mode into a solid focused mind? It’s pretty crazy how much your mentality can be changed in such a short amount of time.

All I knew is that, final or not – I was pretty happy with finishing off in that way.

I made it to 11th place, 1 spot away from the final. But that’s okey, as I am super excited for the next season to come, and possibly 4 meters.