2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Katerina Stefanidi Shares Her Pole Vaulting Journey

Katerina Stefanidi is a Greek pole vaulter. She won the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games with a jump of 4.85 meters., while she has also competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is the current European outdoor (2016) and indoor (2017) champion and a World indoor championships medalist.

Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness catches up with Katerina Stefanidi on fitness, Olympics and motivational tips.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You are the 2016 Olympic Games Gold medalist, the current European outdoor (2016) and indoor (2017) champion and a World Indoor Championship medalist. Walk us through your spectacular journey and tell us how it all began?

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

I started pole vaulting when I was 10 years old. The very first day I went to try it the coach told me that he thinks I could be really good. I had a lot of success very early. At 11 I broke the 11 year old age group record. Same for 12, 13 and 14.

At 5 I broke the world youth (Under 18) record and that same summer I won the IAAF world Youth Championships even though I was a couple of years younger than most of my rivals. I was off to a great start but teenage hood hit me and I gained weight. Even though things were not going the way we expected and wanted I still won the Silver medal at the 2007 World Youth Championships and bronze at the 2008 World Junior Championships. In 2008 I accepted a scholarship from Stanford University and in September of that year I moved to the US. My first year in college did not go well for several reasons but my second year there was a coaching change.

The Athens Olympics Silver Medalist in the pole vault Toby Stevenson became our coach. He was one of my favorite pole vaulters and he definitely brought the fun back to the event for me. The next three years of college I kept getting better and better and my senior year I won the NCAA championships and qualified for the London Olympics. In 2013, and as my coach had to leave Stanford, I moved to Arizona to train with the 2000 Olympic Champion Nick Hysong. I had two great years with him in 2014 and 2015, winning silver outdoor and indoor European medals, but for personal reasons my husband and I decided to move to Ohio in the fall of 2015. He has been coaching me since and things have been going great.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Introduce us to a day in the life of a pole vault athlete, preparing for the Olympic Games.

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

It was like any other year for me. We went to practice every day. Focused on what we had to do and then went home. Nothing special or crazy. We did change some of my training and it kept me a lot healthier and I also started eating a lot better that helped with my fitness. But other than that I just went to the track every day, did my job and went home.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine?

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

It really depends on the time of the year. To be quiet honest I lift less and less weights every year. I noticed that created more injuries and less gain. We do a lot of core and functional strength exercises. I think people often forget that pole vault is an explosive event and they go crazy with their lifting and running. At the end of the day I don’t care to just be fit I care to be pole vault fit.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

No not really. When my husband and I moved in together before we got married he slowly started making changes to my diet. I stopped eating cereal for breakfast and started eating eggs or oatmeal for example. I slowly started changing all of my meals and habits for the best. Now we have a very balanced diet were I feel like I can eat anything I want whenever I want but I very rarely crave something bad.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Training for professional sports requires you to be out in the extreme weather. How are you able to take care of your skin and hair?

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

I have been lucky to be training indoors for most of the year the last couple of years. I am also very lucky to be working with a Greek cosmetics company, Seventeen and Lorvenn, that makes both sun protection products, face creams and hair products. Since I started working my hair has been feeling a lot healthier. I was lucky to have always had pretty good skin but I am trying to be smarter about protecting as I get older.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Who has been your greatest influence and motivator in your success in the field of your career?

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

Definitely my husband. The way he views and enjoys pole vault motivates me every day. But apart from that he was the one that made me see and remember how good I was and how good I can be. I think the training and diet changes have been huge for me but the most important part of my success was him making believe in myself again.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You have been awarded the Stanford Women Track Team MVP, 2012, Stanford Block “S” Award, European Athlete of the Month- May 2015, European Athlete of the Month – August 2016. How do you feel after receiving such wonderful awards and accolades for your breakthrough performances?

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

It is great to be recognized for your efforts throughout the years. Stanford is a big part of who I am right now as an athlete and as a person, so to be recognized by them in any way is a big honor. The European Athlete of the month awards are also just as important especially if you saw the phenomenal athletes I was “competing” against of these awards.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You are the 2016 Indoor Worlds Bronze Medalist, 2016 European Champion, 2016 Diamond League Winner and the 2016 Olympic Champion. Tell us about one of the most memorable experience that you may have had at these Championships. Also, what are your motivation tips to keep in mind before any championship?

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

Unfortunately all these championships have become a blur in my mind. It goes by so fast and the craziness that happens afterwards with the media takes away a little bit of the experience. One thing I remember was the night after I won in Rio we walked our of anti-dumping testing at about 1am to try to find a ride back and we heard people in the stadium so we walked back in. Usain Bolt was there, at 1am after he had finished his last event of the games and he was throwing the javelin. There were about 20 or 30 people standing around him and clapping and he was just throwing javelins down the field. It was so funny and crazy at the same time.

In terms of motivational tips I think every athlete is different. Some people need to get angry. I need to get really calm. Other people need to be distracted. What is important it to find what works for you. Trust it, believe it and do it every time.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding pole vaulters who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in this field?

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

Enjoy what you do. The only thing that kept me going for so many years of under performing was how much I enjoyed pole vaulting. Choose an event or sport that you like and enjoy it every day. It might feel like the future is ahead of you and it’s so long but it flies by. Enjoy the good and the bad. Suck it all in.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for our readers?

Ms. Katerina Stefanidi:

Thank you everyone at womenfitness.net for supporting all female athletes in our everyday efforts to better ourselves. Continue to better yourselves inside and out by exercising and eating well. Give your body what it needs and appreciate it in every possible way. Never settle.

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