Stephanie McCann Interview

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/ ... cCann.html

Athletics: Interview with Stephanie McCann

Background:
Stephanie McCann recently returned from the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia where she won a bronze medal in the pole vault for Canada.



1. Profile:
Name: Stephanie McCann
Home City: Surrey BC
Born: North Vancouver BC
Date of Birth: April 22, 1977
Event: Pole Vault
Track Club: Valley Royals T&F Club
Coach: Pat Licari and Les Gramantik
Height: 172 cm / 5'7 3/4
Weight: 60 Kg/ 133lbs
Personal Best: 4.41m
Date: 07/2003
Location: Atascadero,CA
Sponsors: Product from Champion Nutrition and Nike...always looking!!!
Website: www.stephmccann.com
2. Runner's Web (RW): When and where did you start vaulting?
Stephanie McCann (SM): Summer of 1998 with Dick Henrie in Bellingham, WA and a little bit in Burnaby with Jana Broz

3. RW: What other sports/events did you do as a youngster?
SM: volleyball, basketball, tennis, gymnastics and ballet

4. RW: When did you become a "vaulter" and focus solely on vaulting?

SM: I had my first full season in 1999 at Azusa Pacific University but I was still doing heptathlon and running relays for the university. It wasn't until I graduated from APU in the fall of 2000 that I solely focused on the vault.

5. RW: Who is responsible for your development during your developmental phase as a vaulter?
SM: Dick Henrie taught me the basics and then at Azusa I worked with Luke Walker who turned me into one of the top Canadians followed by Vince Beresford who helped me to my first Canadian Record and finally Anthony Curran who brought me to the Olympic Level.

6. RW: You recently won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. Describe the overall Melbourne experience.
SM: Melbourne was an amazing experience for me. After suffering some severe injuries in 2005 I was unsure if I would be able to compete at the international level again. The Australians love athletics and the MCG (stadium) was incredible. It reminded me of the Olympics in Athens. I had an overwhelming sense of pride to be able to compete in the Canadian uniform again in front of 80,000 fans and bring home another medal for Canada.

7. RW: Do you feel that the Canadian government supports its athletes sufficiently, particularly at the developmental level? What do they do right and where could they improve?
SM: To be honest, I am not at the developmental level and therefore I am not totally aware of what these athletes are receiving. I do believe the government is working hard to improve our funding and I have noticed this improvement over the last few years with the increase in our carding. Unfortunately Track and Field is not recognized in North America like it is in Europe and some of the other Commonwealth Countries such as Australia and England.
This makes it very difficult to draw more money because ultimately the money comes from people wanting to come out and watch the sport! I do believe the athletes in Canada are limited in some areas of support but I think we as athletes may need to take a more proactive role in seeking outside support ourselves.



Stephanie at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games

8. RW: Are you a "carded" athlete? If so how much do you receive monthly from the government?
SM: Yes I am a carded athlete. I receive $1,500.00 per month.

9. RW: What are your plans for the rest of 2006, both in training and competitions?
SM: I am heading off to a training camp in Arizona this week for 10 days to prepare for the outdoors season. I am planning on jump in the West Coast Series in June and then making my way over to Europe for a few weeks of competition prior to Canadian Nationals in August.

10. RW: Toby Stevenson, a U.S. vaulter, is known for wearing a helmet. Have you ever tried vaulting with a helmet? Do you think more vaulters will wear helmets in the future?
SM: I have not tried wearing a helmet. You will continue to see some athletes that choose to wear one but I don't think the number of athletes wearing them will increase in the future. Pole Vault can be a dangerous sport if not properly coached and I do think more certification might be necessary to allow coaches to have pole vault in the high schools.

12. RW: Once you stop vaulting competitively will you take up another sport?
SM: When I do decide to stop vaulting competitively I will look forward to getting more involved in outdoor activities such as climbing, hiking, skiing, swimming, cycling and running recreationally. I also played competitive volleyball for several years and would love to get involved in the beach scene.

13. RW: Do you see yourself staying involved in athletes in a different capacity, coach, official, etc. after you stop competing?
SM: I definitely would like to coach a bit. I did coach at the high school level in the US for several years and hope to also do that in Canada when I’m done.

14. RW: Who has had the biggest influence on your development as an athlete?
SM: That’s a tough one…I would have to say there have been so many different individuals that have impacted my development. From my first vault coach Dick Henrie, to my college coaches Kevin Reid and Mike Barnett, to our national team coach Les Gramantik and my technical pole vault coaches Anthony Curran and then Pat Licari. Each one has impacted my development in completely different ways but each has helped to make me the athlete I am today. I would also have to say my chiropractor Jamie Grimes had a dramatic impact on my mental game with regards to my sport on top of his help getting me healthy leading into the Olympics.

RW: Thanks for doing this Steph, and all the best in your future athletic endeavors.

[altius]

Anyone know if Stephanie competed in the Athens Olympics??

[Barto]

10th

[altius]

Thanks for that.