Sandi Morris won silver in Rio, narrowly missing out on gold. She kept her motivation alive and continued her training in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
When she got there, the competition turned into the worst day of her life.
The preliminary competition was a crucial moment that would solidify their place in the final. When she ran and her stick hit the box, it broke, resulting in a hip injury that took her out of the game entirely.
“In my entire career, I’ve probably done 15,000 to 20,000 jumps and broken four poles,” Morris said. “It’s very, very rare.”
The event was moving, but it only made her more motivated to compete in another Olympics.
“I was excited,” Morris said.
Now she heads to her third Olympics, this time as an alternate.
As a child, Morris played a multitude of different sports. So how did she choose pole vaulting?
She said no; it chose her. According to Morris, the sport perfectly suited his personality and athletic ability.
“I’m as stubborn as a bull. I will not give up. … That’s why pole vaulting got stuck,” Morris said.
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After years of work, she finally made it to the 2016 Olympics and went to Rio. There, she said she was like a “kid in a candy store” with no expectations for herself.
“I was a wide-eyed, excited kid. I was going into an Olympic year with no expectations,” Morris said.
In the pole vault final, she knew she was a candidate for a medal and that it could be gold. After her attempts, she finished in second place.
Morris said at that moment she had to remember not to be disappointed. Eight years later, she’s trying to be more like she was when she was younger: free from expectations.
“It’s when athletes do their best, when there is nothing. No pressure. You’re competing to the best of your ability and jumping free, and I want to jump free,” Morris said.
Morris said he knew the only thing he could do was move forward and continued to push for Tokyo.
After the devastation of a broken pole and an uncharacteristic performance in Tokyo, coupled with an injury, Morris gave himself a few days to process what happened before returning to training. She knew this time she only had three years before the next Games and needed to get back to work.
“There is no ‘coulda, woulda, woulda’ in sport. The sport is in the next stage and it will leave you in the dust if you don’t pick up the reins and move forward,” said Morris.
While Morris’ ultimate goal for Paris is to win a gold medal, she also took time to explain her gratitude for the people in her life who helped her get here.
“I always want to express how grateful I am to have the support system that I do,” Morris said. “I don’t think people really realize how much it takes.”
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