SCOTT HOUSTON

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 surgery 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?

There are many made, but most of them come back to social sacrifices. Making difficult decisions to focus on the best training environment for the Vaulthouse Elite has resulted in me falling out of favor with some. At times, tough choices have to be made to help all parties involved achieve their goals in different environments.

What do you do to support yourself financially?

I’ve been balancing part time employment since 2009. I’ve always worked and saved money thanks to my parents. My plan after graduate school was to always have over 3 months of finances saved up to fall back on if I ever needed to quit any jobs for competition season. Being honest with employers and preparing in advance has helped me with training and commitments to jobs. Since being hired as the coach at High Point University in 2015/2016, and working with Vaulthouse, things are more stable. I also earned a fair bit of prize money from my best season so far, 2018.

How do you balance coaching at HPU and Vaulthouse with your own training?

I view the combination as an opportunity to both provide myself with experience that can help me in the business/career side of life, and also hold myself accountable as a coach/role model to the athletes I work with. I train with our Vaulthouse Elite group in the mid-mornings and coach at High Point in the afternoons. Balancing schedules with a large group of athletes and myself can be difficult, but it truly helps to have a supportive group of vaulters, friends, staff, and people who understand the goals we are all trying to accomplish to help to make it work.

If you knew then what you know now, what would you have changed about your athletic career?

I would have listened to coaches more, and put more of the weight of my bad performances on myself. I would not take opportunities and healthy seasons for granted. Trying to take care of my body and remain injury free is very important, so learning how to push the limits of training and remain healthy along the path to improving physical capabilities really only comes through experience.

With limited meets taking place as a result of Covid-19, how are you approaching the year?

I’m happy to approach this year as part of a trio that is ready and willing to train together in whatever ways are necessary. We have meet simulation practices and even host specific meets to prepare us for the upcoming sanctioned competitions. Mostly we have fun and enjoy what we are able to do in preparation, and we love to compete with each other while traveling.

How do you think becoming an Olympian would change your life?

Truth be told, I think financial opportunities would change, sponsorship opportunities would change, and people may look at me differently. Beyond that, I can’t really say the Olympians I’ve met value that most in their lives. The lessons they learned along their path to becoming Olympians make the most difference.

I have found happiness with Megan, Vaulthouse, and High Point, so most of the changes would be monetary improvements that I would plan to utilize with our facility to provide more opportunities for everyone.

What are your interests and professional goals outside of pole vaulting?

I love coaching and helping others reach their goals. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a number of good examples, however Eric Morell has been one of the biggest in how to be a helper to others.

Professionally, I really enjoying coaching successfully in the NCAA. I would like to build on that and compete for national titles with our men and women vaulters.

I enjoy any and all recreational activities: volleyball, golf, tennis, soccer, basketball, ping pong, rock climbing, and home remodeling. If someone wants to play any sport in friendly competition, I’m in.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I’ve given up pole vaulting twice in my life. I’ve believed two different times that I would never pole vault competitively again. Later, I won a national title.

How do you support Megan’s goals while pursuing your own? How do you balance it all?

Fortunately, we have similar goals individually, and for each other as a couple. We talk frequently about how we want to chase our successes when we can because each goal has its own timeline. For now, we choose competitive pole vaulting to be our focus, along with coaching and growing together.

What is next for you after the Olympics?

Planning a wedding, and house hunting. Covid has postponed a lot of things, so we will plan our wedding after this Olympic Trials and hopefully enjoy the process without the extra stress of the pandemic. On the house hunting front, we have been searching for a piece of property where we can mold and create our own vision for both a home and for Vaulthouse. I am also looking forward to participating in more recreational sports, and to doing more exploring as well.

Photos provided by Scott Houston.