2003 Articles

It is said that pole vaulting is a form of aerial gymnastics and if that is true then it is no surprise that Rangiora High School athlete Julia Brown is the new national under-18 champion.

Brown, 14, was runner-up in the New Zealand secondary schools' gymnastics championship two years ago, but now she has risen to even greater heights in pole vaulting.

Her winning clearance in the national track and field championships at Dunedin's Caledonian Ground last weekend was a career-best 3.15m.

However, there was more to come. A day later she finished runner-up to fellow Canterbury vaulter Sarah O'Connell – now ranked third in New Zealand in open company – in the New Zealand under-20 championship with an even greater height of 3.20.

"I love heights," is her catch-cry.

It has been a golden climax to the season for the Canterbury under-18 champion, who started the season with a best of only 2.80m. That was good enough for third at the New Zealand secondary schools championship at Inglewood in December.

Less than a fortnight ago, she won the Canterbury secondary schools' open pole vault championship with a 3m clearance which broke the meeting record set by Avonside Girls' High School vaulter Julia Ealam. Now she has added another 20cm to that and the season is not over yet.

This weekend she is hot favourite to win the South Island secondary schools' championship at Nelson. She is keen to do it in style.

The South Island record stands at 3m, and Brown was originally thinking that 3.25m would be a realistic target. Now it is clear that she has the ability to rise well above this.

"I am really pleased with what I have done. I don't know what I can do now," she said.

Brown bubbles with enthusiasm when she talks about her new sporting focus, and she has no regrets about making the change from gymnastics. Part of the appeal was "the challenge of a new sport".

But succeeding at a technically difficult event that few others can contemplate attempting is also an attraction.

"I like vaulting because not many other people can do it," she says. As a gymnast, Brown competed at the nationals four times in a career which lasted some seven years. Ironically, it was a gymnastics coach who was also involved in pole vaulting who planted the seeds of change. "We were talking about what I could do when I was finished with gymnastics. He suggested I try pole vaulting. I did, and I loved it."

She has her own vaulting area set up in the back yard of her parents' property, which allows her to train at home. "I can't go too high, but it allows me to work on technique and the plant."

Brown is now coached by leading Canterbury pole vault coach Doug McClymont, and she has enormous respect for his ability and knowledge. "He is an awesome coach."

She has also gained a lot from a chance to train with New Zealand women's pole vault record-holder Melina Hamilton, who last weekend won her eighth national crown. Hamilton has been more than happy to pass on a few tips to a young vaulter who might soon be challenging her for her senior crown.

And Brown soaks it all up like a sponge. A fast learner, she is already ranked third in Canterbury behind Hamilton and O'Connell and is certain to go higher. In some respects, the sky is very much the limit for a young woman with her sights already on representing New Zealand at Commonwealth Games and Olympic level.