The Sky's The Limit

Day One: Starting Over at 69

I walked into my first pole vault training session with a mix of anxiety, excitement, and curiosity. Mostly curiosity. After all the thinking, planning, and talking, it was finally time to find out what reality had to say.

Reality didn’t waste any time.

I was placed in a group lesson with four other athletes, ranging in age from about 10 to 16. That alone made something very clear: whatever I remembered about pole vaulting from long ago wasn’t going to carry much weight here. This wasn’t a comeback. It was a restart.

Pole vaulting, I was quickly reminded, is a deeply technical sport. Strength matters, speed matters, but timing, coordination, and technique matter more. A lot more. I was essentially beginning again at the foundation level — learning how to move, how to plant, how to take off, how to trust the process.

I did manage to clear the opening height on the crossbar. It was low. Very low. But it counted. More importantly, I got through about fifteen jumps, listened closely, and absorbed just how much there is to relearn.

The session was humbling in the best possible way.

Coach Calie was patient, encouraging, and precise. As a former collegiate pole vaulter and now a college coach, she knows exactly what needs to be done and how to communicate it. Having that kind of knowledgeable, calm guidance made a huge difference. There was no pressure, no judgment — just clear instruction and steady encouragement.

By the end of the session, I was sore and achy in places I hadn’t asked much of in a long time. That, too, was clarifying.

I didn’t come in anywhere near where I thought I might. But instead of being discouraging, that realization was grounding. This is a complicated sport. It demands patience, repetition, and respect. Shortcuts aren’t an option.

This was Day One.

I now have a much clearer picture of what needs to be done. There is a long way to go, and a lot of work ahead, but nothing about this first session made me want to stop. Quite the opposite. It confirmed that this project will require commitment, humility, and time — and that’s exactly what makes it worth pursuing. It's all about showing up, learning, and seeing what's possible-at any age.

I’m still in.