SCOTT HOUSTON 34
Destination: TOKYO When did you realize that you wanted to take a shot at making an Olympic team? The Olympic dream is something almost every athlete thinks about after watching the Olympics. Being able to represent your country on the global stage is the ultimate success. I knew I wanted to pursue my Olympic dream after watching a replay of Tim Mack winning the gold medal in 2004 on a pole vault DVD titled Neo Vault. Who has been the most influential person in your athletic development and why? Honestly everyone who has encouraged, coached, supported, and beaten me in competition. My parents, for always encouraging me to learn and grow while tackling my dreams; Eric Morell of Vaulthouse, my coaches at UNC-Chapel Hill and Indiana for teaching me along the way; my post collegiate teammates to my current training group of Megan and Austin. There are too many people from the chapters in my life to pick just one. What changed in your training to take you from an average pole vaulter to an Olympic hopeful? Things changed when I learned to focus on my weaknesses and not the things that are fun and easy to do all the time. For example, vaulters love to vault three days a week. For me it was lifting with purpose, and actually applying myself in running workouts. The discipline to do the things that aren’t easy truly helps athletes see growth, especially when they find themselves at a plateau. How did the postponement of the 2020 Olympics affect you or help you? I actually tore my adductor/hip flexor in mid-December 2019 and needed surgery for the second year in a row, if I wanted a chance to compete at the Olympic Trials. I had sur-
T A K E O F F
M A G A Z I N E
gery on March 5th of 2020 just before the rest of the outdoor season came to a halt due to Covid. In short, the postponement gave me an opportunity to better recover post-surgery and truly grow with my training group, Austin Miller and Megan Zimlich, my fiancé. How have you handled adversity or setback in your athletic career and what was the process like? Everyone will run into a few setbacks if they are truly trying to be good. Pushing your body to find its limits can have adverse effects. Believing in the quote, “It’s about the journey, not the destination,” is one thing, but acting on it when tested with adversity is a true testament to a longer career while dealing with injuries. Positive perspective and having other hobbies and goals to keep you focused on the beauty of life reminds you that life is bigger than pole vaulting. Trying to be the best vaulter one can be is a privilege. Just trying is something not everyone gets to do. What is your training routine in preparation for the Olympic Trials? My routine focuses on good nutrition, body maintenance, lifting two to three times a week, running twice a week, and vaulting one to two times a week, depending on the time in the competitive season. How do you prepare emotionally to train and compete? Training is harder than competing for me. I love competing, but training is made easier by both my training partners, and by being an example for my athletes at High Point. What really drives me is thinking back to all the times I thought I was prepared to vault high, and then lost to competitors time and again. What have you sacrificed to chase the Olympic dream?
