My Love Affair with the High Jump

If being an athlete is your profession, you will inevitably ride a wave of emotions in a given season – never mind your career. Great performances, victories and results will give way to euphoric feelings, while defeats, injuries and inferior performances/results can make you question the meaning of life. Every great loss, I’ve experienced in Athletics has always felt similar to a break-up. Yes, high jump has broken my heart numerous times and filled it with overflowing joy.

Probably one of my lowest moments, would be the 2006 Commonwealth Games, in Melbourne. To this day, I cannot explain what happened. I warmed up great. I felt fantastic. I was ranked to win, and I no-heighted. A no-height means I failed to clear any height. A trailing heel, clipping the bar was my arch enemy. I can remember crying my eyes and heart out underneath the stadium, and for days thereafter.

Comparatively, the feelings I’ve experienced at my highest levels of performances have been incredible. I can remember last year (after struggling to qualify for the Olympic Games) and finally doing so at the last possible moment how ecstatic I was. My joy had moved me to a river of tears… And in my happiest moment it was further enhanced by knowing the challenges I faced to get there.

Essentially, as athletes we are pouring our heart and soul into the passion of our sport and the belief that something great awaits us. Well, at least for me that is the case. It’s like loving someone with all of yourself, and your only wish is for them to love you in return. If they were to cheat on you, hurt you, break-up with you or fail to return the feeling of love, your heart may be left wounded. However, if they were to love you in return, or better yet, love you in away surpassing anything you could imagine, words may not be able to explain the feeling of joy that might fill you. This is my love affair with the high jump.

I cannot wait to experience a jump surpassing anything I could imagine. There is definitely something magical and awesome, when I am in flight over the bar -- and I know I have a huge clearance above the bar, when the bar is set at a high height. It literally feels like flying and I have nothing but time!

I guess it is for those moments of high, that it worth pummeling myself in training and accepting my defeats. And as, cliché as it may seem, it truly is about the journey. Ahh… Track & Field – gotta love it.

Just one request – could I experience a dose of some serious deep returned love from the high jump in the near future??? Maybe like in my next competition? Just wondering??? ;)

In Love,
Nicole