EUGENE, ORE. - United States pole vaulter Sandi Morris captured her third consecutive silver medal at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships where finals took place July 17. Morris placed second behind fellow U.S. teammate and 2020 Olympic gold medalist, Katie Nageotte.
Placing second in the world is quite an accomplishment and something that many can only dream of achieving. The Illinois native knows her way around the podium. She won gold at two Indoor World Championships in 2018 and 2020. She won silver at three Outdoor World Championships in 2017, 2019, and 2022, including a silver at the 2016 Olympic Games. Over the course of her career, she has won seven U.S. Championships.
On her most recent World finish, Morris said, “over the last 15 hours or so I think I’ve experienced just about every emotion the human brain is capable of--happiness, sadness, pride in what I’ve accomplished but also a lot of dissatisfaction. I went out there to fight for gold and that’s what I did, but I have to walk away with a silver yet again. The Outdoor title continues to elude me. When I missed my last attempt at 4.90m / 16’, I walked straight to my husband and hugged him, a little tearfully and said ‘it’s ok. I’m ok’ because I AM!”
Morris noted that she fought to work her back from an injury (to her hip and her mental health) in Tokyo: “I put my heart and soul into this season and found myself on the podium both indoors and out, and that’s something I can be proud of.”
Morris’ attitude is one to emulate. Experts note that in any particular competition, there is only one winner and lots of “losers”. The reality, however, is that they are only losers because they were not winners on that particular day. Winning athletes embrace all aspects of sports and competition, appreciate the journey, and go on to accomplish great things.
We would love to hear what you learned from a second-place finish and how it impacted your life. You can send us your story at info@sportfuelslife.com.