Taking A Turn
By the end of 2005, Allison Stokke had already become one of the most successful high school pole vaulters in the history of the sport. But as they say, all good things come to an end. And in this case, a horrifying injury would beg an even more terrifying question: Was pole vaulting a sport that could jeopardize her long-term health?
In a practice session, the defending state champion was testing a larger pole she had never used. She took off — and didn’t get a high enough vault to push her clear to the landing pad. Seconds later, disaster struck.