Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
An offhand remark from his daughter turned Dr Will Tyler of South Nowra Veterinary Hospital in NSW into a champion pole vaulter.
“Back in 2000, I took my daughter to watch the Sydney Olympics. She was about 14 at the time and I was in my forties. We saw Cathy Freeman win her gold medal and the pole vault was on the same day. Nobody was much interested in pole vault but then Tatiana Grigorieva from Australia won silver. We watched it on the big screen and it was really exciting. My daughter was inspired and said she would like to give pole vaulting a go.
“A few weeks later, I spotted an ad in our local paper asking if anyone would like to try pole vault. I took my daughter along, she loved it, and she asked if I wanted to give it a try. So, that’s how it started, as a dare from my daughter. I’ve now been pole vaulting for the past 25 years.
“It’s a crazy sport but it has helped me keep fit and strong. I’ve been fortunate to win my age group at national championships 17 times with three 2nd placings. The funny thing is that my daughter now competes with me at country, state and Australian titles. It’s a great connection between us.
“The Masters Games are divided into five-year age groups. I’m 65 now and in April, I won the national Australian title in Hobart. When I’m flying to interstate competitions and turn up at the airport with my poles in a long PVC case, I usually get a lot of funny looks.
“When starting out, you try to cross a sandpit. You just hold onto the pole and pretend you’re trying to get across a river. It takes many training sessions to get the hang of pole vaulting and grasp your body spatial awareness. Injuries are certainly possible. I have an Achilles problem right now. On another occasion, my pole broke and the bottom half recoiled up and hit me in the back of the head. It required 12 stitches to close the gash. I wear headgear now.
“One of the best things about this sport is the people involved. You run into each other at competitions and there’s a real camaraderie. The best thing about Nationals is going on trips and meeting up with people from other states.
“Pole vaulting is always a challenge. When the pole bends and lifts you up and over the bar, it feels fantastic. And if it happens during a competition, even better!”
