First impressions – Sandi Morris

US pole vaulter Sandi Morris enjoyed a breakout season in 2016, earning Olympic silver and joining the select five-metre club. Here the world indoor silver medallist answers our first impressions questions with her typical enthusiasm and passion.

First coach

My first pole vault coach was a guy called Terry Wyatt, who saw me running hurdles in eighth grade and thought I would make a good vaulter because his son was a vaulter. Terry taught me the basics for a year until I met my high school coach, Rusty Shealy.

First sport

It was gymnastics. My parents put me in to gymnastics class aged four, but I became frustrated because the instructors would not let me attempt a backwards flip on the beam. I quickly decided gymnastics wasn’t for me. I then tried soccer and basketball until I later discovered track.

First competition

I have this on video. It was the summer after my eighth grade, just before high school. I had done one practise session and I remember attempting a bar at 6ft (1.82m), although I very much failed at making the height.

First international competition

That came at the 2014 NACAC Under-23 Championships in Kamloops, British Columbia in my junior year at college. I had made the Pan American Junior team in 2011, but that competition was in Florida, so it doesn’t count as an overseas competition.

I recall going to British Columbia. It was a fun, exciting experience and it was great to be part of a US team. My first trip outside of North America came in July last year at the Paris IAAF Diamond League meeting. I finished sixth that day and I remember that was a pretty overwhelming experience because I had to get used to the fact that officials didn’t speak English.

First international medal

It was the gold medal I won at the 2014 NACAC Under-23 Championships in Kamloops. It was really cool to wear the US uniform and win gold. Interestingly, my second ever international medal came earlier this year with silver at the Rio Olympics. It was absolutely insane to win an Olympic medal because it is something you think you only ever will dream about.

First hero

I was obsessed with ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin. He was so fearless and outgoing and I really connected with his fearlessness and his willingness to do crazy things; I associated that with my vaulting lifestyle. I watched all of his shows as a kid. If I could sit down to dinner with any person in history it would definitely be him. I idolised that man my whole childhood. He really inspired me.

First disappointment

I remember in my senior year at high school I was predicted to win the state championships in the 100m hurdles. It was between me and this other girl. We’d competed many times that season. Unfortunately, I fell over the second to last hurdle when we were neck and neck at the time. Yet after she finished the race she came back to pick me up off the track and help me cross the finish line. That is the moment I realised what sport should be about. I have remembered that moment throughout my career. I have always tried to treat all my pole vault rivals with respect.

First pole vault mishap

It was during practise when I snapped the pole off a shortened run-up. It was my first jump of the day and I was shocked I’d broken the pole. I remember my hands went numb and I didn’t really know how to react. A while later I had a picture taken of me with my broken pole. 

First toy

I was given a giant white fluffy stuffed dog from my grandma for Christmas. I was aged three and the toy was as big as I was. I took ‘Fluffy’ everywhere with me. I took him on a family cruise to the Caribbean and I still have him today in my bedroom.

First pet

It was an orange coloured cat we had called Pumpkin. I’m pretty sure the cat hated me, but I didn’t care she didn’t like me. I loved that cat. I was aged 17 when the cat died (Pumpkin was aged 18) and I bawled my eyes out. It was really strange no longer having her around the house.

First thing learned to cook

My mum taught me to make French toast and I think I kept on making it until my whole family were sick of it! I’m not sure that first experience went too well. I definitely burned the heck out of the French toast!

First car

My parents bought me a Jeep Liberty when I was aged 15. I have lots of great memories of ‘Jenny’. When I moved down to Arkansas, I made lots of friends who like to do a lot of crazy things and I wanted to keep up with them. I recall this one time when it was snowing and they were doing donuts in the parking lot. I looked at my car and I thought, ‘Jenny can handle this’. I got in my jeep and even though I’d never done a donut I quickly picked up how to do one. The whole night we were pulling donuts in the parking lot until someone called the cops on us.

Steve Landells for the IAAF