What happens when you get famous for something completely out of your control? That’s what happened to Allison Stokke, a pole vaulter from California, when a photo of her at a match went viral around sports blogs and eventually made its way around the world. But her photo going viral changed her life, and not for the better. Luckily, she was able to get her life back together, in a weird turn of events.
Coming Up Competitive
Allison Stokke was a California girl who grew up in an athletic household. Her older brother David was a National level competitive gymnast, and it was assumed that Allison would follow in his footsteps. She wouldn’t.
She Wasn’t Into Gymnastics
Stokke didn’t care for gymnastics, but she soon found her passion in pole vaulting. She started her career when she was 13-years-old and by the time she was 15, she was beating students with much more experience than she had.
She Set Her First Record at 15
Stokke found her niche in pole vaulting and became one of the most successful young athletes of her time. At just 15-years old, she vaulted 12 ft. 6 in., setting a national record.
She Modeled for Extra Money
Stokke wasn’t just a natural athlete; she was a natural beauty as well. And while she was a senior in high school, she spent some time modeling on the side for extra income.
She Beat Her Own Record
By her senior year, she started to be recognized nationally for her pole vaulting achievements. Even though she broke her leg early in her career, she showed her skills by breaking records and then finished eighth at the national junior championships.
Targeted by a Sports Blog
With Leather was a popular sports blog that had a pretty substantial male fanbase. The site was also known for their indecent treatment of women, usually in sports. This made Stokke a prime target for their audience, who found interest in one specific photo of the athlete.
That Photo Found its Way to the Site
That year, a journalist for a California track and field website took a photo of Stokke at a competition she was attending in New York and posted it online. It soon found its way to the With Leather website.
The Photo Went Viral
"I think I saw her grow up faster," says her mom, Cindy. "She saw how the world can be, saw how some people can be really cruel, some people can be great. I think she realized, 'I can't be so concerned about what everyone else thinks; I have to pursue my career and my dream and my sport.'"
Online Fans Came Out of Nowhere
The photo was posted without permission to the site with the headline “Pole Vaulting Is Sexy, Barely Legal.” It was those words that made the photographer especially angry. By the time it had come to his attention, he threatened to sue the owners of the site for using his photo, but it was already too late.
It Wasn’t Temporary
Stokke and her family had hoped her newfound internet fame would be only temporary, as most things of this nature are. They couldn’t have been more wrong, and their struggle against the internet was only just beginning.
Everyone Commented on That Photo
A few years after the photo was taken and just weeks after it started circulating, articles from the Washington Post, the New York Times and the BBC shared more information about this photo that was taking the world by storm. It seemed as if everyone with an internet connection had come to know the name of this once unknown pole vaulter.
An Unwilling Participant
Not only was this photo seen around the world, it also prompted a huge fan base devoted to Stokke’s every move. Millions of search engine results came up when her name was searched and dozens of fan sites soon debuted online, making certain that some of her fans had crossed the line into obsession.
They Had a Problem on Their Hands
Eventually, Stokke and her family realized that her internet fame was a problem that was just too big for them to solve on their own. She hired a media consultant to help handle the situation.
Shifting the Focus
To shift the focus away from the viral photo, Stokke participated in an interview on pole vaulting techniques. The video soon gained hundreds of thousands of views, worrying Stokke and her family again that the attention may be misplaced.
Unfortunately, Things Didn’t Change
Her family was right to expect negative attention after the release of Stokke’s new video because as soon as comments started to be posted, it was clear that the same audience who had brought attention to her photo in the first place were continuing to focus on Stokke’s looks instead of her athletic abilities.
Her Father, A Lawyer, Got Involved
Stokke’s father, Allan, happened to be a lawyer by trade. He began the lengthy process of wading through a sea of internet comments to see if he could find something potentially illegal that could be used to shut down his daughter’s “fan” sites once and for all.
CBS Changed The Story
To change the narrative and bring Allison’s opinions on the matter to light, CBS aired a story highlighting her experience and bringing attention to people who are unwillingly sexualized on the internet.
It Took a Mental Toll on Her
Stokke only ever wanted to be known for her athletic ability. She told The Washington Post, “Even if none of it is illegal, it just all feels really demeaning. I worked so hard for pole vaulting and all this other stuff, and it's almost like that doesn't matter. Nobody sees that. Nobody really sees me.”
“Nobody Really Sees Me”
Stokke simply wanted her audience to focus on her athletic abilities, not her looks. The unwanted attention felt belittling and demeaning to Stokke, so she focused her attention on her studies and tried to stay out of the way of more public attention for a while.
Competing on a College Level
Although her life changed significantly during her athletic career, Stokke continued to compete through high school and college. During her first year at UC Berkeley, she broke a school record with a vault of 13 ft. 5 ¾ in.
Qualifying for Nationals
In 2012, Stokke set her sights on the London Olympics. Although she had hit a personal best with a vault length of 14 ft 3 1/2 in, but the time of the US Olympic trials, she was unable to even clear the opening height.
Setting Her Sights High
Sadly, her personal best of 14 ft 3 1/2 in wasn’t enough for her to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in 2012. In the years that followed, her career wavered and Stokke continued to compete, but she couldn’t reach the heights that she used to.
Her Popularity Didn’t Waver
In the following years, Stokke continued to compete but she also began to focus more heavily on her modeling career, doing campaigns for brands like Nike, Uniqlo and GoPro. Her modeling background gave her experience in front of the camera and her incredible strength gives her a perspective on athletics that few have.
Golf's Newest Caddy
In 2019, Stokke made the news again when she married professional golfer Rickie Fowler. The two obviously have a lot in common considering they both have a passion for sports and fitness. The couple seems very happy together and Stokke often caddies for Fowler during practice.
She’s Still Soaring High
Regardless of her placement in national rankings, Stokke continues to compete professionally. In 2016, she placed eighth at the Chula Vista OTC High Performance Meet, and by 2017, she had improved enough to place third at the 2017 Austin Longhorn Invitational.