On how she feels…
“It hasn’t set in yet; I feel like I am dreaming. I have dreamt about being an Olympian for as long as I can remember and this is just amazing.”

“I think I am the oldest competitor out there. I want to tell USA Track & Field not to forget about the older competitors. It has been a long career for me though. I have been a pole vaulter for 15 years. I just really want people to keep the older athletes in mind and that’s all I can say.”

On her current career…
“I have been competing unattached for 15 years. I was injured for a lot of years and I think people thought I was gone and fallen off. I was just working a lot of jobs after leaving Oregon.”

On competing at Hayward…
“There is no feeling like competing at Hayward. After I left I felt like I had let my fans down because I haven’t made an Olympic team since 2003. I just have to thank my loyal fans for sticking with me through everything.”    more