| School: Grant | Graduation Year: 2001 |
Year Inducted: 2014
Sports Played: Track and Field
Featured Member of the Month ~ December 2023
High School Honors: 4-year letter winner in track & field, PIL champion in pole vault sophomore through junior years (11’9″ height as a junior set a Grant and PIL record); State Champion in the pole vault as a senior (11’9″) and second in state meet as a junior.
Post High School Career: At University of Washington she was a 5-time All-American in the pole vault, Pac 10 champion in 2004 and NCAA Champion in 2005. Named 2005 Female Athlete of the Year at UW. She competed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Trials. Vocational roles: mother of two boys, personal trainer, private track coach.
Commentary:
A reflection on the inspiration of athletics in my life:
Athletics played a huge part in my life. It helped me learn discipline, time-management, how to set goals, accomplish goals, and how to deal with failure when goals weren’t reached. I had a lot of success as an athlete, and learned how to be humble. But I also had failures, and I learned how to persevere through tough times. Learning these lessons in an athletic setting gave me the tools I need to deal with the ups and downs of adulthood. It’s why I want my kids to participate in sports when they’re able.
I was very lucky to have great coaches, both in high school, college, and after college. They not only cared about my athletic success, but about my personal development as well. I wouldn’t have been the vaulter I was without the amazing coaches I worked with. That’s why I am happy to continue to be involved in the sport as a coach myself. I enjoy passing on the both the technical knowledge and the encouragement and life lessons that I learned as an athlete.
Favorite forms of competition today: Well it’s not indoor soccer since that resulted in a lateral tibial plateau fracture this past June…. I really enjoy coaching others in their competitions (I coached high school vaulters from 2009-2012 and now coach athletes privately), but with two little ones I don’t do much competing these days.