Pole Vault Power exclusive interview with Mystery Vaulter
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:54 pm
Unfortunately, due to busy schedules, and general lack of high tech skills on my part, the mystery vaulter and I were unable to conduct the phone interview I had hoped for, but he was kind enough to grant me an email interview. He's trying to stay out of all of the speculation on the board.
PVP = me
MV = Mystery Vaulter
PVP: How did you get started pole vaulting?
MV: My position coach in football and JV basketball coach was the pole vault
coach at my high school. He tried to get me to vault when I was in 8th
grade, but I wasn't interested. That next fall and winter as a
freshman, he kept trying to tell me to pole vault. During basketball
season, he told me I wasn't going to play unless I agreed to at least
try it. I rode the pine for 6 games until I relented. My first
vaulting experience was in a barn on a farm in the middle of winter.
One jump and I was hooked.
PVP: What was the highlight of your college career?
MV: Becoming conference champion my senior year. I had been an All American
before, but the conference championship always eluded me during my collegiate years.
finally winning my conference my senior year will
always be my fondest memory. Guess you had to be there...
PVP: How do you find time to do this now with your busy schedule?
MV: Its really just a matter of making some sacrifices here and there. I
know it sounds bad, but I don't sleep as much as I should. I
unfortunately use nights to catch up on things I didn't get the chance
to do during the day.
PVP: How do you stay focused with all of the distractions in your life?
MV: By always having my end goal in sight. Its easy to lose track of where
you're going if you're constantly looking and worrying about where you
are now.
PVP: What made you decide to do this?
MV: It being an Olympic year and everything, there are always a couple
people who come out of the woodwork to try to make the trials. I
started thinking about what it would be like if I trained for a comeback
myself. I floated the idea to a few people, and they really encouraged
me to follow through with it.
I just wanted to give others a view into what it would be like to be me
training for the trials and to share in all the obstacles and hilarities
that it would entail, so I started the blog....
PVP: Why are you surrounding this with so much secrecy?
MV: Well, I've always flown under the radar. I don't really like being the
center of attention anyway, but this is really having the opposite
effect.
I guess I figured that not revealing my identity would make doing this
easier. I guess it ultimately comes down to me thinking that the best
way for me to accomplish my goal was to work in anonymity. I've
immersed myself so deeply into this, I've almost become another person.
PVP: What do you think of all of the speculation surrounding your identity?
MV: At first is was fun watching people throw out guesses. With ashcraftpv
and achtungpv fanning the flames, its gotten a bit out of control. A
few folks are somewhat close, but I think a lot of people are thinking
way too much into this.
I'm grateful for all the support I'm getting, but would like to ask that
folks not get so emotionally invested in all of this. I really don't want
people getting upset about speculation or over the actions of a couple of
"idiots" on my supposed behalf. I try to not take myself seriously, so
people should just relax and enjoy the ride with me.
PVP: What do you ultimately want to accomplish?
MV: I want to be able to look back on this experience and say that I had fun
regardless of the outcome. I've got high hopes for this, but I always
know that things may not work out the way I want them to despite all the
time and effort I've put in. I also hope that others will be able to
remember all this with a smile.
PVP: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
MV: Just have a clear idea of what you want to do, make a long term commitment
to follow through on it, and don't be afraid to ask for help or listen to new ideas.
PVP: Will you reveal your identity soon?
MV: I'd have to eventually, wouldn't I? I want to hit a certain milestone
first, then I'll let the cat out of the bag.
PVP = me
MV = Mystery Vaulter
PVP: How did you get started pole vaulting?
MV: My position coach in football and JV basketball coach was the pole vault
coach at my high school. He tried to get me to vault when I was in 8th
grade, but I wasn't interested. That next fall and winter as a
freshman, he kept trying to tell me to pole vault. During basketball
season, he told me I wasn't going to play unless I agreed to at least
try it. I rode the pine for 6 games until I relented. My first
vaulting experience was in a barn on a farm in the middle of winter.
One jump and I was hooked.
PVP: What was the highlight of your college career?
MV: Becoming conference champion my senior year. I had been an All American
before, but the conference championship always eluded me during my collegiate years.
finally winning my conference my senior year will
always be my fondest memory. Guess you had to be there...
PVP: How do you find time to do this now with your busy schedule?
MV: Its really just a matter of making some sacrifices here and there. I
know it sounds bad, but I don't sleep as much as I should. I
unfortunately use nights to catch up on things I didn't get the chance
to do during the day.
PVP: How do you stay focused with all of the distractions in your life?
MV: By always having my end goal in sight. Its easy to lose track of where
you're going if you're constantly looking and worrying about where you
are now.
PVP: What made you decide to do this?
MV: It being an Olympic year and everything, there are always a couple
people who come out of the woodwork to try to make the trials. I
started thinking about what it would be like if I trained for a comeback
myself. I floated the idea to a few people, and they really encouraged
me to follow through with it.
I just wanted to give others a view into what it would be like to be me
training for the trials and to share in all the obstacles and hilarities
that it would entail, so I started the blog....
PVP: Why are you surrounding this with so much secrecy?
MV: Well, I've always flown under the radar. I don't really like being the
center of attention anyway, but this is really having the opposite
effect.
I guess I figured that not revealing my identity would make doing this
easier. I guess it ultimately comes down to me thinking that the best
way for me to accomplish my goal was to work in anonymity. I've
immersed myself so deeply into this, I've almost become another person.
PVP: What do you think of all of the speculation surrounding your identity?
MV: At first is was fun watching people throw out guesses. With ashcraftpv
and achtungpv fanning the flames, its gotten a bit out of control. A
few folks are somewhat close, but I think a lot of people are thinking
way too much into this.
I'm grateful for all the support I'm getting, but would like to ask that
folks not get so emotionally invested in all of this. I really don't want
people getting upset about speculation or over the actions of a couple of
"idiots" on my supposed behalf. I try to not take myself seriously, so
people should just relax and enjoy the ride with me.
PVP: What do you ultimately want to accomplish?
MV: I want to be able to look back on this experience and say that I had fun
regardless of the outcome. I've got high hopes for this, but I always
know that things may not work out the way I want them to despite all the
time and effort I've put in. I also hope that others will be able to
remember all this with a smile.
PVP: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
MV: Just have a clear idea of what you want to do, make a long term commitment
to follow through on it, and don't be afraid to ask for help or listen to new ideas.
PVP: Will you reveal your identity soon?
MV: I'd have to eventually, wouldn't I? I want to hit a certain milestone
first, then I'll let the cat out of the bag.