Pole vaulting is not a Paralympic sport. That hasn’t stopped Charlotte Brown, who made the podium at the Texas State High School Championships last week.
Video from Associated Press YouTube channel.
Charlotte is blind. She competes in the pole vault by counting the steps of her approach run, and listens for the sound of a faint beeper placed on the mat that tells her when to plant the pole and push up.
She chose the pole vault because she wanted something “dangerous and exciting”… pole vault is both of those things when sighted, I am certain those feelings must be heightened when you can only see a jigsaw puzzle of light and dark shades.
I absolutely love this story. I love that Charlotte chose a sport based on danger and excitement. I love that her School allowed her to compete despite it not being a Paralympic sport. I love that she’s trained for two years, improving her technique and height gradually before achieving her goal of making the podium this year.
Most importantly, I love her attitude. Charlotte said:
“This story really wasn’t about me. It was about everybody that struggles with something. If I could send a message to anybody, it’s not about pole vaulting and it’s not about track. It’s about finding something that makes you happy despite whatever obstacles are in your way.”
Now there’s a life lesson for a Monday.
Inspired by the BEDM topic for today – newsflash.