Podium in Poland?
Holly Bleasdale blogs ahead of the World Indoor Championships in Poland as the indoor season nears its end...
Last Updated: 06/03/14 9:36am
My injury-struck season last year has really helped to see how much pole vault means to me, for me pole vault is a small part of me that lives deep down. That's why sacrifices are made each day and why making them is so easy.
I am back enjoying and loving competing and this is special, as soon as this is lost, motivation to succeed is gone. I'm very lucky that I have found and settled into a great place. I have an amazing coach (Scott Simpson), a great training group who I get on with really, really well and my fiancé is with me every step of the way. Being in such a positive environment is important for me, as when I'm happy I jump well and that has certainly been the case this indoor season.
I have done four competitions and had four wins. I have been jumping consistently high heights in these competitions and have really been enjoying myself. I had a little bit of a nightmare at my National Championships in Sheffield where I cleared 4.81m - which would have been a world lead - but the bar jumped off the peg and onto a ledge slightly above it.
Apparently in the rules it can't do this, but the bar stayed up so for me it should have been a clearance. However, a rule is a rule and it's not there to break so I moved on.
Looking ahead now, I am preparing for one of the biggest competitions I will do in 2014, the World Indoor Championships in Poland. The top twelve girls in the world have been selected and will be there and, like me, aiming for a medal. We will all have the same goal of taking something away, it just depends who comes out on top on the day.
I have had amazing momentum leading into this competition and I am full on confidence, which is a great place to be in. I have never been in better shape than I am now. I'm technically better and mentally stronger so as long as I go out there a perform my heart out, then I'm confident I can place strongly.
Pole vault is a funny event, you can be having the day of your life and if tiny little things are not quite right then the competition can be ripped from your hands. You need to take the rough with the smooth, enjoy the good days and learn from the not so good ones.
My next blog will be the day before the World Championships in Poland. I will hopefully be letting you know I got here safe and, more importantly, that my poles got on the plane with me!