Vaulting in the Big Leagues

This will be a long one people so sit back, relax, and prepare to get some insight on the mind of Kyle (concerning the vault) in these past few weeks. To start, I’d just like to say that vaulting for me since the beginning has been a passion. Something that I’ve ALWAYS loved to do and never saw it as just another track event or just something else to compete in at meets. I have and always will look forward to vaulting . So, in light of this, I must ashamedly admit that about two weeks ago I started questioning this passion of mine and the reasons why I vault. These questions being: Why do I still vault? Why should I put so much effort into track and the vault when I could just quit and have a normal college life? Why put myself through all the negative aspects of the vault? I mean it can hurt a lot, it always ends in failure (think about it), and it just takes so much effort and time to master. Also I have already shown people that I can be the best in D3 and I’ve won plenty of meets so why should I do it anymore? Now, let me tell you, this kind of attitude is quite… infectious if you will. To summarize, I asked some what if’s and a lot of why’s and doubted my reasons for vaulting in the first place. Not a good place/mind set to be in right before championships start. Even last weekend when I competed it affected me in my vault. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I vaulted way high over 15′ 6” (with most people saying it was about a foot over it if not more). However, because of this mind set, I allowed myself to be lazy after clearing it thinking “Ya I got this again… woopedeedoo” and consequently, right at that moment, I knocked the bar off with my elbow on the way down (it was my 3rd attempt too). I lost the meet to Greg Tao from MIT because I let that attitude affect me so much as to influence my vault. How could I let such an attitude affect my vault? I mean my vault is my pride and joy and it’s the culmination of all the efforts I put in to practices. Yet I let it affect me THAT much, making it a low point in my vaulting career I must admit. However, after some inspiring speeches from people close to me (girlfriend, mother, father, and Connor), I re-discovered my passion for the vault. I vault because it’s something I love and have always loved to do. I vault because I’m happy when I do and I find I inspire others. Among other things I’ve been told that I have the attitude that no matter what people say, whether impossible or not, if I believe I can do it, then I’ll do it. So, with respect to this attitude and the very recent re-discovery of my motivation to vault, I’ve doubled my efforts in reaching a goal I’ve had since the very beginning: becoming the best vaulter in the world and setting a new world record. Yes that means beating even the great Sergei Bubka (my hero and ultimately my greatest competition). Now some might say that’s reaching too far or the chances of it happening are very slim BUT (going off what I said earlier) I know I can make it. I will be the best in the world, I will get there someday. Cocky? Maybe a little bit, but for those who know me… not in the least, and I’m very, VERY appreciative of all the support I get . So for all you vaulters out there who question why you vault just remember how much you love it and never give up on your goals because you never know, you might be the best someday

P.S. Another goal of mine is to get my face on a cereal box

so the snow is finally gone and the sun is out so its

finally time for outdoor season to start! this blog thing

doesnt work well on my computer but i realized that 

i hadnt posted since like september….im in the library

now because work is getting pretty rough as the semester

winds down. but ive done one outdoor meet so far and 

jumped 2.65 and i hope to improve soon because ive been

jumping much higher than that in practice. i know you

guys are gonna hate me for this but ive been pushing the

pole haha

ok i better get back to work butttt ill be back for the

summer in 3 weeks!

Nothing too exciting to post about the Stonehill Invitational on Saturday.  The more interesting parts happened at night…

After the meet on Saturday, my mom and I borrowed my brother’s car to drive to Providence for my cousin’s birthday party.  Driving there, we would smell a bad burning coming into the car.  After pulling over multiple times to check our car, it would eventually go away and we’d continue driving.  Driving from Providence to Lowell to bring me back to school, the smell came back as we were getting off the Lowell Connector.  Driving down the street we heard a loud BANG and suddenly everyone started screaming and honking at us,  “GET OUT OF THE CAR! GET OUT OF THE CAR! YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE!”  Smoke proceeded to come out from the bottom of the car.  I was in the passenger seat, unable to get out because the pole was strapped to my side of the car.  I climbed to the backseat and tried to get out the other side.  The door was locked.  I started to freak.  I screamed, “Mom, unlock the car! UNLOCK THE CAR!”   With my memory of the exact timing being a little fuzzy, she had to get the car completely pulled over and turn off the car.  She later told me when I did that the car was still moving.  I guess I wouldn’t have panicked as much if I wasn’t the passenger and had control over the car.  We both finally got out, and I called 911.

Flames still continued to come out from the bottom of the car.  Firefighters were on their way, but we weren’t sure if the car would explode.  My mom ran towards the car, “GET THE POLE!”  Of course, I thought our own safety would be more important, but my mother is crazy.  Somehow we managed to not even undo the bungees and slide it out in an instant.

To keep a longer story short and sweet, everyone is okay and safe.  Surprisingly, my brother’s car isn’t totaled.  Pole is fine too. [Which happens to be a PatriotPV pole...]  But I’m still a  little panick-y about being trapped into a car and a little jittery about the whole thing.  But needless to say  I won’t be putting a pole on the side anymore…

AND…the street we were on was Thorndike Street, the same street I got into my first car accident in November 07.

So the outdoor season officially started last saturday with our first outdoor meet here at WPI. Yay exciting I know . It wasn’t a bad meet, just got back into things with a clear of 15′ and a split of 50.4 in the 4 by 4. Then yesterday at the Engineer’s Cup (MIT vs. RPI vs. WPI) I vaulted 15′ again although I should’ve had roughly 15’6″ (?). Well it was 4.73m in metric at least and I was pretty comfortably over it except I came down on the bar twice :/ It was disappointing but I got on a new pole: 15’3″ 170. At least it looked like a 15’3″ because lined up next to the 15′ 165″ it was longer… either way it turned out that there was a vault off between me and Greg Tao from MIT and I lost . It was fairly disappointing but I realized that it’s only one meet’s loss and even though I did lose, I found out I could comfortably vault on a 170 and vault even higher than I have been vaulting lately. So moral of the story: a loss might suck sometimes but it’s important to focus more on what you learn from it Well off to study for a Stress in Structures Analysis test… yay…