Don't vault alone

[lonestar]

While sorting through my email, I found an old message forwarded to me about a serious vaulting accident that occurred while an experienced vaulter was jumping alone. I'm pasting it here with the names deleted in case he doesn't want a lot of people to know about it. It's definitely a reminder that no matter how experienced you are, accidents can and do occur in our sport and that you should never jump alone.

"Howdy All:

I got this from a friend that most of us know regarding a recent dangerous situation resulting from a pole break. ***** ***** is a three time USATF Masters Champion and a friend for many years. Rule #1 - no matter how experienced you are, do not vault alone. ***** is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met and a father. I'm not saying I would not have gone out myself alone as I have from time to time. I won't again. Have fun and be safe. *******

----- Original Message -----
From: ****** *******
To: ***** *******
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 200*
Subject: RE: R U Injured?


*****,

There's good news and bad news.

First, what happened? Well, on June 1st I was jumping (by myself) from a 5-stride on my 15-150 with a 13'4" grip. I had a bungee at 14' and was having a great session. I had already decided that 25 was the total number of jumps I'd take for the session. Well, I made 24 excellent jumps (finally swinging fast and early). On jump #25 the pole (which was no brand new - it was made in 1981) broke. The top piece hit my forehead and somehow put a deep cut in my right deltoid. The problem came from the bottom part of the pole - it hit my square across the ribcage. I landed in the pit, with one hand on my head and one on my ribs - I strained to take a breath. I looked up, but ***** on a Sunday morning is not a busy place - there was no one in sight. After about a minute, which seemed like forever, I rolled off the pit and crawled on my knees and elbows to my bag. I got my phone an called ******* - I told her to bring ice and Band-Aids (as I was bleeding from the head and shoulder). At one point, while waiting for *****, I thought that maybe I just pinched a nerve in my back and that's why it was so hard to breath. I actually stood up and contemplated taking another jump in order to "jolt it back into place" - only a Pole Vaulter would understand that type of thinking. I relented and layed back down in a heap by my bag. In the 15 minutes it took ******* to arrive, I had started to go into shock - when she got there I told her to call the paramedics (this coming from me who won't even ask for directions).

When the paramedics arrived, my blood-pressure was 75 over zero - I was now officially a "Trauma" situation. They started an IV, put me in the ambulance, and proceeded to take every bump known to mankind on their way to ********* Medical Center. I was rushed in, my vitals had improved, so they gave me 4 cc's of morphine (by the end of this ordeal I had consumed 130 cc's of morphine). I could now breath a little. We did an MRI and a CT-Scan. The result showed that the pole hit me so hard and so fast that it compressed my ribcage so violently that the force actually blew a hole through the bottom of my left lung. I now had a collapsed lung (which explains the agony and not being able to breathe), a pneumothorax, bruised ribs, damaged intercostal muscles, and a really bad headache (which I could care less about since my internal organs were giving me pain to a level that I cannot begin to describe).

After 4 days in the hospital (and the 130 cc's of morphine), I was allowed to go home.

The story goes from bad to worse, when upon arriving home I decided to simply "sit in a chair". Now I had been laying down for 4 days, so I didn't expect any problems - wrong again! The pain in my lower back had me screaming in agony. I returned to a laying position, the next day saw my Chiropractor and Orthopedic Surgeon who scheduled an MRI. The results of the MRI showed that the ribs and lung weren't the only thing that took a beating - two disks in my back had been ruptured during the accident (who noticed the pain of that when I had so much more pain in my chest?). I had a 50% paralysis of my right leg. Constant back and sciatic pain. And the medication only "dulled" the pain.

I since then have had 3 epidural steroidal injections. The first two did wonders, but the 3rd provided no benefit. I'm left now with partial paralysis of my right leg (about 20%), and intermittent pain associated to moving, walking, sitting, etc.

Now for the good news. A week and a half ago I was given the Spinal Specialists version of "Death Counseling" - where he painstakingly explained that this is "as good as it's going to get" and that I will have to get used to my "new lifestyle - that doesn't include athletic activity". That all sounds bad, but I figured it was simply a license to "push the envelope". *****, you and I have talked about this before - I'd rather not walk than walk and not vault. So I went out last week and "rimped" (it's kind of a run-limp combo) down the runway from 3 lefts - I "held on" to a 13-140, but could only wobble it slightly. I figured that even having to "rimp" down the runway I'm still faster than ****!!!

This past Saturday I was determined to really push the limit. I grabbed a 14-160, took a step where I could walk into a 4-lefts run, and went for it. I got rejected like a dog. Determined to "rimp" harder, I got rejected again, and again, and again. I finally told one of the guys to put a bungee at 11 feet. What? He said to me - you haven't made it to the other side of the box yet. So what? I told him, and proceeded to "rimp" down the runway, bent the pole, and made it - but it was sloppy.

Now since nothing hurt (at least it didn't hurt too bad), I had the bungee put up to 12'. I took about 6 more jumps at 12' - and was close on many, but no cigar. ***** ***** showed up right when we were finishing, so I decided to take "one more" at 12'. With God (and *****) smiling down at me - I got a tailwind, the adrenaline flowing, the "rimp" was nearly gone, and I cleared 12' with a ton of room to spare. ***** said that I looked better than I did before the accident.

I still have the paralysis in the leg - but I swear, the harder I push it, the less paralysis there is. The other muscles and nerves are simply "getting the job done". So I'm going to donate my 15 foot poles to *****, buy a whole new series of 14 foot sticks (I'm thinking 175, 180, 185, 190? But I don't know yet - that 14-160 was too light from a "rimp" 4-stride).

I've always given a great deal of thanks to God giving me the opportunity to Pole Vault, but now that I've been given another "lease on life" - after it all looked so bleak - I have a new dedication to make the most of every single chance I get.

So what can I say - things aren't perfect, but perfection is all relative. Now that I can jump again - the sky's the limit.

Talk to you soon,

****** "

[Lord of the Poles]

wow, what a story!

[blazerunner121]

*sighs* i sometimes vault by myself, and try hard to always pay more attention to my safety, but i just always have gut feeling that one day, that will happen to me ...

[Robert schmitt]

I read that story some where before... just cann't place when and where.

[Scott Go Pre]

*sighs* i sometimes vault by myself, and try hard to always pay more attention to my safety, but i just always have gut feeling that one day, that will happen to me ...

Number one rule in pole vaulting:
Never Vault Alone!!

Blazerunner, you never know when you might hurt yourself. All it takes is one wrong placement, and you could end up like John Doe above. I don't think that any of us want that to happen to you.

[jmayesvaultmom]

Especially, what if for some reason you can't even crawl over and get to a cell phone or anything? If he had been knocked out.....he might have been past saving by the time someone found him or he woke up and got to the phone...

[vaultmd]

I read that story some where before... just cann't place when and where.

I posted it on this board somewhere before - without the names blanked out. Funny thing is I used the exact same Subject Heading - "Don't Vault Alone."

[lonestar]

I read that story some where before... just cann't place when and where.

I posted it on this board somewhere before - without the names blanked out. Funny thing is I used the exact same Subject Heading - "Don't Vault Alone."

Oops, sorry Wilson Don't remember seeing it here, but thanks for posting it when you did!

[toki]

Seriously. I have never vaulted alone.. I have wanted to soo many times. but never have.. this kinda make my get goosebumbs.. ouch. What a story

[vaultmd]

I read that story some where before... just cann't place when and where.

I posted it on this board somewhere before - without the names blanked out. Funny thing is I used the exact same Subject Heading - "Don't Vault Alone."

Oops, sorry Wilson Don't remember seeing it here, but thanks for posting it when you did!

Actually, I'm glad you reposted it. The first time it didn't get noticed.

[Robert schmitt]

hey that's not true not only did I notice it. It evidentally made it into my long term memory

[SlickVT]

Thats one hell of a story. I feel for ***** and the pain he went through.

However, and I'm sure I'm going to get some angry replies, he would have been in the same situation had someone been there with him.
I'm not saying vaulting alone is a good idea, anyone with half a brain knows its not, but he got injured from a broken pole, not being alone when it happened.

Anyway, good story. Makes my back injury seem like a walk in the park.