Sydney King '15 Recruiting Profile

I feel that being a student-athlete shows a lot more about me than the sport I play. Sports have taught me that anything can be accomplished if I dedicate myself to it. Sports have also helped me realize that even though obstacles will come, they will not stop me from reaching my goals. In January 2014, right before track season started, I broke my wrist and the small bones in my hand. I was devastated because the upcoming season was expected to be the year I set myself apart from all the other vaulters in the state. I was jumping 12'6" and for an injury to happen before I got to prove it was horrible. I was rushed twelve hours to one of the best surgeons in Texas. I remember the flood of emotions I felt when he told me I wouldn't be competing for at least eight months. I was overwhelmed with sadness and fear that I would never be as good as I was. Over the next few weeks I ate only the food that would help my bones heal faster. I built up the muscle in my body that was weak the previous season. My doctor couldn't believe the progress I had made, and he ended up releasing me the week before the District Track Meet. He told me that jumping would be a huge risk because my grip was so weak. At this point, I didn't care what height I jumped; I was just so glad to finally be competing again. I ended up winning the district track meet with a jump of eleven feet. I put all I had into pole vaulting. Every day I was getting better. I earned a trip to the State Championships after winning the area and regional track meet. I took home a silver medal after tying with my previous personal record from the year before. I may have jumped two feet shorter than I was expected to that season, but competing again when my doctor told me it wasn't possible was enough for me. This next season, I am shooting for fourteen feet. I know it may seem impossible to some people, but I want it bad enough that it will happen.