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CONTENTS
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FROM THE EDITOR
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THEY’RE POLE VAULT JUNKIES
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THE FLYING ILLINI
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VAULT COACHES GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND
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HARRISON WILLIAMS: A DECATHLETE’S POLE VAULT ADVANTAGE
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Cover photos by Bryan Carrel
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FROM THE EDITOR Fall 2015 is here! New school year, new you, and new season just around the corner! For some, pre-season has already begun—getting ready for the fast-approaching indoor season. Along with the new school year, this month we have some great articles for you to read! We have two contributor writers this month: First being Dylan Cornwell. Dylan has written about how his coaches started coaching pole vault and how they all became a family. Helping so many vaulters at several different schools, Tim and Shannon DeCooman have changed the lives of all their vaulters. As a thank you to them and all they have done, Dylan wanted to write about their story for the magazine.
Our other writer is Adele Correale San Miguel. She has written an article on decathlete Harrison Williams. It’s an incredible story of a boy who believed he could, so he did—despite what everyone else said. Adele documents Harrison’s story of how he started at the bottom and worked his way up to being a champion. Take a look at this story, it won’t be the last time we hear of him. Our featured club this month is the PV Junkies Jumps Club in East St. Joseph, Illinois. Coach
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Bryan Carrel has had this club since 1994 and has produced many great athletes. Having completely built this club, Coach Carrel has made it to where his athletes will not go without. Offering over 400 poles, an indoor pit and outdoor pit, and much more, the PV Junkies can be successful all year around. Don’t miss this powerhouse of vaulters! On the cover this month we have the University of Illinois. Coach Carrel has been the U of I coach for that past 15 years and he has produced some very competitive vaulters. This Big Ten school will no doubt be competitive at meets this upcoming season. Look out for the Flying Illini Vault Crew, they’re prepared to have a successful season full of PR’s and records. Check them out! Thank you again for staying with us. Keep up all the hard work! We love seeing how you all are improving and look forward to seeing what you do in the future. Until next month, keep us updated and have fun!
Editor Sadie Lovett Sadie@vaultermagazine.com
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THEY’RE POLE VAULT JUNKIES By: Sadie Lovett
Starting his club in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1994, Coach Bryan Carrel has had a pole vault club for as long as he has been a University coach. When Coach Carrel moved to Urbana, Illinois in 2000, his club moved with him. Now, in 2015, the Pole Vault Junkies Jumps Club is now in East St. Joseph, Illinois.
At this club, there are four coaches—two being Stephanie Richartz and John Wood. Along with pole vault, the PV Junkies club also offers high jump and a coach there specifically for it. Two of the coaches are specifically for pole vault, whereas Coach Carrel works with both groups. Some of the parents chip in and help too. With many track clubs throughout the state, PV
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Junkies is one of few that offers pole vault: “We encounter good vaulters from all over the state,” says Coach Carrel. The PV Junkies club has around 18 members and much to offer them. This club has
indoor and outdoor runways with two collegiate size pits. If being able to go outside when it’s hot or inside when it’s cold wasn’t enough, the building is heated and air conditioned too. There is a weight room for the athletes to use—even some
Rhi Held and Lori Carrel
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parents use it to pass the time during practices. They also have over 400 poles to choose from that ranging from 10ft to 17ft. Coach Carrel works at Gill Athletics, so all of their poles are Pacer. Throughout the year, the club offers clinics for athletes who are further away so they can join in on the fun. Because
Coach Carrel is the vault coach at the University of Illinois, all of the club camps are run through them.
This last year, 13 of the 15 club members qualified for state finals, earning the club four state titles. The club also has several nationally ranked members. They had the 7th grade national leader, as well
as six others ranked in the top 20 of their age groups. Their number one female member is U of I graduate, Stephanie Richartz who jumps 14’7. Their number one male vaulter is coach John Wood who jumps 17’6. There junior high vaulters are becoming very successful. Their best girl jumps 9’9 and she is in 6th grade. The best boy who is in 7th grade jumps Josie Held
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12’6. Sophomore from Mt. Zion, Josie Held is their highest high school girl with a PR of 11’6. Riley Smith from Casey Westfield has the highest mark for the high school boys jumping 16’3. Having participated in Jr. Olympics, Jr. Nationals, Skyjumpers Camp, Grand Haven Beach Vault, and Akron Pole Vault Convention, the PV Junkies have had an incredible summer full of fun, PR’s, and memories that will last a lifetime. Some of their vaulters even went to Hot Dog Fest and the Indiana State Fair events on their own for more summer fun. With an indoor facility that has heating, the Junkies will be able to practice indoor when the weather starts to get cold, which will prepare them for the winter club season and soon school season. Even though the summer season is over and school has started, the PV Junkies will continue to move onward and upward in the seasons to come.
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Josie Held
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Jaden Nuzzo
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THE FLYING ILLINI By: Sadie Lovett
As the seasons change, merging from summer to fall, the Fighting Illini Pole Vault Crew will soon begin their pre-season training. Pole vault coach Bryan Carrel, University of Illinois coach for 15 years, says “summer is time to stay active, but take a break from vault if they want—it’s a good time to relax and reset.”
Before finding his way to the U of I, Coach Carrel coached pole vault at Indiana State University and Central Michigan University. Coach Carrel got the women’s pole vault program started at all three schools.
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This upcoming season, The “Flying” Illini will field four women and four men. Along with three or four multis who train with the vault crew. To be on the Illini team, Coach Carrel looks for women to be jumping around 13 feet and men to be jumping around 16 feet, but it differs each year.
U of I has a lot to offer their pole vaulters. With two Gill Maximus Pole Vault landing Systems and over 400 poles, these vaulters never seem to “go without.” Depending on what each vaulter needs, Coach Carrel has made many
different training aids available: rope, high bar, slide box, etc.
Each year the Big 10 conference is always competitive in pole vault. This year, the ones who will lead their team to successful seasons are senior Jenn Debellis, and seniors Mitch Mammoser and Blaze Galardy. Jenn ended her season last year with a PR of 4.14m (13’7). “She will have no problem stepping into a leadership position,” says Coach Carrel. Sophomore Sara McKeeman will be at Jenn’s side this year to help with leading the team. Sara fin-
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Blaze Galardy
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FUN FACT DID YOU KNOW
that Sergey Bubka broke the world record 35 times? And every time he broke it, he received $40,000 from Nike.
ished her freshman year with a PR of 3.96m (13’11). And their teammates Liz Livingston and incoming freshman Carolyn Nye will be there to represent their team as well. For the men, Mitch and Blaze will be leading the two freshman, Eddie Smoliak and Jake LaRocca. Even after a rough start to his season last year, Mitch ended up PRing twice by the end of the season. The U of I has many alumni vaulters who make an appearance from time-to-time. Recently graduated Stephanie Richartz is one of the many successful Flying Illini Vaulters. Ranging from Daily Illini
Jenn Debellis
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Athlete of the Week to First Team All-American, Stephanie’s list of accomplishments seems to be endless. Indoor and Outdoor Conference Champion, Drake Relay Champion, Indoor and Outdoor school and Big Ten Record Holder, Stephanie graduated with a bang placing third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Though graduating may be hard because leaving a team is never fun, Stephanie has a long list of memories she will always have.
The men alumni have set the bar high for all who follow them. To be on the Top Ten List at the U of I, one must jump
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higher than 5.25m (17’2). The two who stand out on the Top Ten List are Dean Starkey and two-time gold medalist Bob Richards.
Through the years that Coach Carrel has been with the Illini team, several emerging elites have helped coach the team. Chris Smith, Bryant Wilson who is the current coach at Central Michigan University, and John Wood joined the team last year. As a way to relieve some stress and to relax with their team, Coach Carrel hosts team BBQs. At these “movie nights,” Coach Carrel grills and picks a classic 80’s movie for the team to watch. This is an easy way for the team to hang out outside of practice and to get to know each other in a fun atmosphere.
With competition season right around the corner, we wish the University of Illinois team much success in their season and we look forward to seeing more of their accomplishments throughout the year.
Matt Bane at the Univ of Illinois
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Mitch Mammoser
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SEPTEMBER 2015 ISSUE Left to right:
Sara McKeeman WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM / Jenn DeBellis / Carolyn Nye Stephanie Richartz / (ALMA) / Blaze Galardy Mitch Mammoser / Matt Bane / Bryan Carrel
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Sara Mckeeman at Purdue University
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Stephanie Richartz
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VAULT COACHES GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND By: Dylan Cornwell
There are always those stories about coaches who care so deeply about their athletes that they will go to the ends of the earth to support them, and this is no exception. Tim and Shannon DeCooman are the prime example of this. They are individuals who do so much for everyone around them and ask absolutely nothing in return except that you put forth the equal amount of effort. The impact they have had, and will continue to have, on the pole vault community surrounding them is immeasurable. Pole vaulting has also
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impacted their lives in many ways as well.
Their love for the sport is actually what brought them together. Shannon was a coach at the high school level and one of her girls decided she wanted to try the vault. Shannon at the time had zero knowledge of pole vault except for the fact that they were all a little lazy. She then decided to put a pole in her hands for the first time. She had heard about this guy, Tim and how he helped train kids from other schools, while at the time he was coaching
at Van Buren High School. She decided to push herself out of her comfort zone and seek him out to help further her athletes’ potential. He welcomed Shannon’s athlete with open arms. On top of that, he offered to help Shannon learn how to coach the event during the summer vaulting sessions he was going to have that year. Shannon being the person she is and wanting to further her knowledge, gladly accepted. During the first session, he asked Shannon her age, 26 at the time, and he then told her that was perfect and
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Shannon, Addy, Tim, Mia
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handed her a pole. He told her the best way to learn to coach is to learn to do it. Long story short, Shannon fell in love with pole vault and of course Tim. They started dating, and within 2 years they were married. The pastor even related marriage to pole vault during the marriage ceremony because it is such a big part of their lives. They have been married for 8 years now and will finally be coaching together at the same school, Liberty Benton High School, which has been a big dream of theirs since the beginning. Tim started coaching when his younger brother was in high school. At the time he didn’t know a lot about the sport, but he knew enough to help his brother the best he could. He went on and started helping and coaching others—that is when he got addicted. He started investing his own money to help his athletes. As anyone involved with pole vault knows, it is a very expensive sport and Tim not having children did not mind doing this. As his athletes started becoming more and more successful, he became more and more addicted to the sport. He kept putting more money and time in the vault and it showed. Now, having spent roughly $70,000 on pole vault equipment over the span of 15 years, he and Shan-
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non consistently have athletes returning to the state meet. I don’t know of anyone else who would invest so much money and time in his or her athletes as they do.
There are many coaches across the country who hold summer pole vault practices, but Tim and Shannon go much further than that. They both have realized that like most things in life, coaching is a learning experience. Shannon will reach out to each vaulter and ask them, what did she and Tim do as coaches that they believed helped them and things that may have confused or messed them up. With pole vault being such a technical sport, there are endless ways to explain how to do the different phases of the vault. They care so much about this sport that they try and find out what things are they saying that are the most effective. Their love and passion doesn’t stop at the pit either. If they see an athlete going down the wrong path, Tim and Shannon care enough to step in and try and help out the best they can. Tim pulled me to the side one day before practice and had a one-on-one talk with me, and many since then. I don’t think he realized the impact those talks truly had on my life. If it weren’t for Tim do-
ing so with me, you would not be reading this article and I would probably be in jail. He has given me the opportunity to attend a university and get a degree. I am not the only one they have affected in this way. Keith Reiter is another success story very similar to mine and now he will be my pole vault coach at Tiffin University. I had asked Keith if there was anything that he wanted included in the article and he to emphasize that the dedication and enthusiasm for pole vault rubs off on everyone and makes each vaulter they help train have the drive to work as hard as Tim and Shannon, to achieve their own goals. This work ethic they have is seen by the individuals surrounding them and makes everyone want to do the same, and this is not just about track. During the off season, Tim works 7 day weeks of 10 hour shifts a lot of the time because during the season he knows he will have to take off work for meets.
He is also now a father of two of the cutest little girls, Addy who is 6 and Mia who is 2 years old. The summer of 2009 was a special one for the DeCooman family and for their athletes, especially Amanda Hotaling. Tim and Shannon announced the amazing news prior to the upcoming track season that they were expect-
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Your new (longer) pole; the first jump. You can do this.
TIME TO FLY
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FUN FACT We all know that Renaud broke Sergey Bubka’s world record of 6.15m. But did you know that it was almost 21 years to the day that he did it? Set on February 21, 1993 and broke February 15, 2014. And not only that, but Renaud broke the record at the very same meet and in the very same arena that Bubka set it!
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ing their first child in June and everyone was ecstatic! The due date was unfortunately around the same time as the state meet. We were all secretly hoping the baby would wait until after the meet. Amanda making it to her first ever state meet her freshman year of high school. The night before the state meet Shannon goes into labor! All the athletes prepared to not have Tim coach them at the meet so he can be with his wife. June 5th, 2009 his beautiful daughter Addy was born! To all of our surprise Tim then drove 2hours to the state track meet and surprised them to coach the meet. His first child was just born hours before, he still, out of love and pureness of his heart, wanted to be there to help them succeed. That day changed both of their (Tim and Amanda’s) lives by not only the birth of his child, but they won our first State Championship in the pole vault together! If he had not been there, Amanda says she knows she would not have been able to accomplish that. She was the last vaulter up on her third attempt and if she had missed, her rival would have won. Once she cleared the bar, she hadn’t even landed on the pit before Tim was jumping up and down and crying. They both cried and hugged for what seemed like hours. He
was now a father and a state champion coach. She says that she owes all of her success to him and if he had not made it, she would have whole-heartedly been jumping for him. She will forever be undeniably grateful for all he has given and taught her. Now when we have our summer practices, Addy has her own little pole, which is part of a broken pole, and will stand in line with all of us and plant the pole and jump into the box.
Finally, I would just like to say to Tim and Shannon, you two are truly an inspiration to many. I have never seen people do so much for others and ask nothing in return. The love that you both show for the sport of pole vault and everyone involved is amazing and very moving. This is not just coming from me, but from everyone in the vault community, we love you guys and can’t say enough how thankful we are to have you in our lives and for everything you do. They will forever hold a special place in our hearts as more than just a coach, but as a part of our families.
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HARRISON WILLIAMS:
A Decathlete’s Pole Vault Advantage by Adele Correale San Miguel
When Harrison Williams grabbed a pole as a gangly 15-year-old to compete in his first decathlon, no one believed he had the strength to sprint down the runway and haul himself over the bar, let alone triumph in the other nine events. He was only run-
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ning track to stay in shape for his main sport, basketball.
Harrison had never vaulted, nor attempted seven of the ten events that make up the multis. At that meet, Harrison stiffpoled over the opening height to vault 8-11.75. A few months later, Harrison placed 8th at the AAU Junior Olympics, his first national decathlon. Only a few points separated him from 4th place. Instead of grand-
standing about being one of the best in the nation, Harrison experienced regret. Had he trained a bit harder, run the 1500 a little faster, he could have finished much higher. He wanted to improve, not for the accolades, but for the intrinsic satisfaction of performing at his best. He could do this.
Fast forward 4 years. Harrison is a true freshman at Stanford, representing the United States at the 2015 Pan Am Juniors in Edmonton, Canada. He takes home the gold, breaks the U.S. junior record with a score of 8,037, and pole vaults in a field of one, his opening height surpassing the last height of his closest competitor. Harrison had been, it seems, a track star masquerading as a basketball player.
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Spencer Allen, Sports Image Wire
Born in Texas, Harrison grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Jay and Susie Williams. His athleticism runs deep. Harrison’s grandfather, Jess Williams, was Mississippi’s state champion in the 440 meter dash and the 880 meter relay in 1948 and 1949. Jess played baseball for Mississippi State for three years before earning his CPA and serving through accountancy until his death in 2003. Jay was a top 400 meter sprinter and competed in basketball and football in high school; Harrison’s older sister Allie played volleyball
for New York University, and his younger sister Julia participates in high school track. For the Williamses, family is first and encouragement and trust run high. Harrison says he owes much of his achievement to his parents. They provided constant support, as well as poles and spikes. Attending nearly every meet, Jay was up before Harrison making sure the cooler and track bag were packed for every potentiality. Susie always made sure Harrison had a full
dinner even when he arrived home from practice hours after the family meal. Jay and Susie insisted that it was up to Harrison to decide if he wanted to take this track thing seriously or not, giving him the freedom to create his own personal vision. Family dynamics played a part. A busy household meant he could not train in all events until he acquired his license to drive himself to practices. In addition to workouts with Memphis University School
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coach Bobby Alston, Harrison received jump instruction from then University of Memphis assistant coach, Chrissie Feldman. He vaulted with Kris Whitfield, and trained for the sprints with Hrukti Maat of the Memphis Mustangs. He learned form and technique. Whitfield had a laidback approach to the vault, never yelling, but guiding with an intuitive sense of what Harrison needed to succeed. Maat’s intensity was a factor in developing mental toughness. He had to want this. While Harrison has enjoyed excellent coaching, his coaches enjoyed a phenomenal athlete. By the time Harrison graduated high school, he’d become a Tennessee titan of track and field. Among his many accomplishments are the state title in the pole vault in 2013 and 2014. In 2013 he also took the top spot in the decathlon, 300 meter intermediate hurdles, and high jump, placing second in the 110 meter hurdles. The following year as a senior, Harrison won the gold medal in the decathlon, high jump, 300 meter and 110 meter hurdles. He holds the Tennessee state record in the pole vault, decathlon, 300 and 110 meter hurdles and the 4X400 relay. He won the highly regarded Arcadia Invitational decathlon two years running, and the octathlon at New Balance Outdoor Nationals. He took gold at
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the AAU decathlon in the 15-16 year old category in 2012, and silver amongst the 17-18 year olds at the USATF Junior Olympics with a score of 7,181. He broke the high school decathlon record at the 2014 IAAF World Championships. No longer slow and weak, Harrison finished his high school pole vaulting with a personal best of 16’8”. While the pole vault is often the Achilles heel for a decathlete, it is Harrison’s trump card. He has a confidence in the vault that eludes many athletes. Because of his height, 6’5”, and speed, he can get on the big poles. This past outdoor season, he started jumping on a 5 meter pole. The vault is the 8th event in the decathlon which usually serves Harrison when he is closing in on the lead, or in need of creating some distance between his score and the next. This advantage is not always a benefit. Harrison is often the only decathlete vaulting over 4.5 meters, meaning he has less time in between jumps to recover and strategize with his Stanford coach, Michael Eskind. At the Pan Am Juniors, Harrison cleared his opening height on the third attempt, while racing against the clock. He warmed up at 4.5 meters, and blew through his pole. Pulling a larger pole out of the bag, he was dismayed to find it untaped. Only one minute
remained on the clock, so Harrison prepared to jump on his smaller pole, forgetting he still wore his warm-up gear. Quickly shedding his t-shirt and sweatpants, he started his run just as the clock ran out. A miss. With 3
Harrison and his Stanford coach Michael Eskind. Spencer Allen, Sports Image Wire
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minutes until the next jump, Harrison quickly taped up the never- been-used pole and jumped. Another miss. At this point Harrison was on national record pace and had a 500-point lead. A third miss would devastate
his edge. The crowd stilled and Susie couldn’t watch. Harrison moved his start back 6 inches to account for the anticipated rush of adrenaline and cleared the bar by 2 feet. He ended up jumping 16-4.75 and scoring 179 points
more than the next decathlete. He trusts himself. Harrison says the hard parts are the transitions. It is not easy to go from being quick and explosive in the hurdles, to grace-
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ful and accurate in the discus ring. While he sometimes wonders what he could achieve if he focused on only one event, he thinks boredom might ensue if he did not have the challenge of the other nine. He has a hyper ability to focus on what is in front of him and shake off his last performance, no matter how well or poorly it went.
out the wins of other athletes on social media. Quiet away from the track, he is bold and strong on it. Harrison has an earnestness about him that explains the presence he brings to the event. Braggadocio is sometimes a trait of world class athletes, but it is not any part of this young man’s makeup.
About 10% of Harrison’s 20 hours of weekly training is spent vaulting. A typical day starts with a throws session, followed by some technique work in the long jump, high jump, vault, hurdles, or block starts. Running workouts are made up of a series of 250, 200, and 150 meter Harrison hurdling at sprints. Dependhis first decathlon. ing on the day, Jay Williams the workout may end with power cleans and bench press. The Olympic rings are aligning. While the 2020 games were Harrison appears to be cod- a realistic target for him a few ed with the optimal template of months ago, Harrison’s score at a decathlete. At 180 lbs. he is the NCAA Outdoor Championphysically built for success in the ships qualified him for the 2016 grueling 2-day multis. Equally Olympic Trials. Next summer, as important, he has the dispo- Harrison will compete alongside sition of a champion. He cheers Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee on his competitors and shouts for the chance to represent the
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U. S. in Rio de Janeiro. Wearing the red, white, and blue bears a sense of solemnity; still, Harrison is a laid-back 19 year-old as delighted by his new puppy as with a new medal. Harrison’s is a tale of height, speed, and the magic that happens when one accepts their given talent and fearlessly pursues
it. Everyone has a gift, but most fail to develop it, forgetting that the thing they are naturally good at and passionate about is their contribution. Harrison has incorporated a genius for track and field into his daily life, becoming the personal vision he set for himself, and inspiring greatness through sport.
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