Heather Abadie’s Canadian Roots

By Maddie Davies

Heather Abadie’s journey to college athletics has not been linear, but she has worked incredibly hard to accomplish a feat that only a select few have made a reality. She earned the opportunity to continue her pole vaulting career at Texas A&M University, and this past year, tasted her first international competition as a member of Team Canada. This is her story of finding balance and developing as a fierce collegiate and Canadian competitor in the pursuit of raising the bar.

From a young age, Heather has strived to compete at the collegiate level in some capacity, and for years, she dedicated all her training to gymnastics. A knee injury in the 8th grade ended her gymnastics career and stole her passion for the sport. She needed to rediscover her identity as an athlete and quickly turned to cross country. She later realized that her true interest lay in track and field. After reconnecting with former gymnastics teammates, who introduced her to pole vaulting, Heather’s passion for competing was rekindled by way of a pole.

Heather has emerged as a multifaceted track and field athlete. She has placed at the state level in the 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, and long jump, but she flies highest above the competitive field while pole vaulting. By the end of her senior year of high school, she vaulted her way to numerous state and national titles, propelling her into the spotlight. With an impressive personal best of 13’11.5”, Heather has acquired numerous accolades, including state champion, Louisiana’s 2019-20 State Gatorade Athlete of the year, and AAU National Pole Vault Invitational Champion, but it was the choice between her American and Canadian identity that opened tremendous doors for her.

Pursuing an NCAA career always appealed to Heather because she knew the privilege of gaining access to great facilities and working with experienced coaches who would prioritize her success. When offered these same amenities and the support of Team Canada, Heather chose to represent them on the international stage, and her first appearance was this past year at the U20 World Championships in Nairobi, Kenya. She soared to success claiming the bronze title, but she brought back home far more than hardware.

Heather’s first international assignment taught her how to overcome poor circumstances and continue to ‘find a way to have a good day.' She realized how to make the most out of every opportunity that she was given and to enjoy every moment of competing. She recognized the privilege of having immense support from those around her and found the euphoria that competing had once brought her as a gymnast. Heather’s first international meet further motivated her to improve as an athlete and competitor, and gave her the confidence to master her craft at Texas A&M.

Her coach, Joe Sarra, says “I will stack up Heather’s mental toughness and competitive posture against anyone. She never gets too high or too low no matter the situation and is tough as nails. It’s not always about how fast you can run or how high you can jump but the 6” between the ears. Heather is rock solid in those pressure moments where others fold. Being self-aware and self-accountable are rare traits, especially as a teenager, and it seems to come naturally for Miss Abadie.”

Competing at the international level so early in her vaulting career and capturing the Canadian U20 Indoor Record enhanced Heather’s perspective. Competing in Kenya pushed Heather beyond her perceived limitations. She reflects on how she is “really proud of how far [she has] come in just a few years”. Heather has already accomplished things others dream about, but she has barely tapped her potential.

Photo provided by Heather Abadie

Now in the midst of her first NCAA season, she is working towards claiming her school’s indoor and outdoor record. Along with hopes of joining the 14-foot club, Heather is training to make the podium at both the SEC and NCAA Championships.

Following her NCAA season, she will continue training for international competition. She aspires to improve her performance at the next U20 World Championships. Taking it one goal at a time, Heather continues to find ways to challenge herself, and believes that “going international [has shown her] that [she] has the potential to become a pro athlete and go to the Olympics, which is [her] overall goal in life.”

Pole vaulting demands the utmost mental composure, and Heather is honing the ability to balance her collegiate and international careers. Her willingness to continue seeking opportunities to embrace competitive environments is what allows her to keep clearing higher bars.

For Heather, her pole vaulting career emerged as a small dream to fuel her love for athletics, but hard work and dedication landed her success on the international stage.

And, this is just the beginning.