The Health Advocate | Amway

It's good to shake things up every now and then, so rather than another post from me about how our Track & Field presence is going, I thought why not bring you insights straight from the keyboard of a Team Nutrilite athlete? 

Jenn Stuczynski is America's all time best women's pole vaulter and the second best ever in the world.  Here is a post from Jenn, to give you a look into her world, first hand…

It’s hard to believe that the outdoor season is underway already!  I enjoyed my off-season but am excited to be competing again.  When I began training for the ‘09 year, my coach had me spend more time than ever on conditioning to make sure that I continue to stay strong as the season progresses.  To do this, I focused a lot on the technical aspects of the vault by taking a shorter, slower run than I would at a meet.  Thanks to a lot of hard work and great supplementation through Nutrilite, I have been able to stay healthy and make gains in both strength and technique.  It is only a matter of time until I begin to apply it to my full competition run.  Currently, I am getting ready for the US Nationals in Eugene, Oregon that takes place at the end of June.  As for my European schedule, it is still in the making so I will keep you posted!

A lot of people ask me, “Is pole vaulting as hard as it looks?”  The answer: YES!  Pole vaulting is the biggest athletic challenge I have ever faced.  About a month ago, I was going through my college folders and found a note I wrote during one of my School Psychology classes.   In it, I described how mentally frustrating the event was.  Just when I thought I had applied a skill, there was another one to learn, another skill to correct, another one to enhance and a habit that needed to be broken.  Get where I’m going?!  There was always something that I was doing wrong, something that I needed to correct and it became so frustrating for me.  Fast forward four years…there are times that I still feel exactly the same way.  The only difference is I have learned to appreciate the process of training and getting better.  I found by charting my workouts in pole vault, running, and the weight room I was able to see my progression.  Even if I didn’t clear a higher height at my next meet or I had a bad workout, it helped me to visually see that I was doing what it takes to get better.  Sometime you can get lost or caught up in the ‘I want results now’ mode, but everything has a timeline.  I would like to say that I have “learned”, but the reality is “I am still learning” PATIENCE!  It’s so easy to get overwhelmed but if I keep trying, stay healthy, positive, and be patient great things will happen!  Yes…my Olympic Silver is something special which I will never forget.   But now…I am looking ahead to future World Championships and hopefully the London Games in 2012.   

Although I have not been pole vaulting for as long as my competitors, I have had my share of “ups and downs”.  With the “ups” I try to enjoy the moment, appreciate the results but never be satisfied.  My coach and I are always evaluating my training, inventing new drills, and refining technique.  By doing this I never feel stagnant and there is always ways to improve.  However, life is always easier when training is going well!  From the time I started pole vaulting, Rick always told me, “It’s when things are going wrong that you need your coach the most”.  That is so true!  The support cast around an athlete is just as important as the athlete’s ability.  Rick knows my goals and aspirations so he never lets me get too discouraged or too complacent.  There are always setbacks in athletics but when someone else understands and wants to see you achieve your goals, whether it is a coach, husband, parent, or friend, their support is vital.  I am very fortunate to have so many positive people (and my dog Tundra) around me: coach, family, adidas and, of course, Nutrilite.   Everyone has played a role in my development and I am very grateful for their support.

I have been with Nutrilite for 2 years now and the experience has been amazing!    My first encounter took place in Florida at Achievers 2007.  I met so many wonderful people and was impressed with the set-up and organization that took place (and I still am!)  It was here that I did my first photo shoot and commercial for Nutrilite!  Everyone involved was so friendly it felt as though I knew them for years.  That is the biggest thing that I have noticed and loved:  Nutrilite is a team and a family.  Everybody that I have met are so proud to be a part of and to represent their company.  I distinctively remember the first time Nutrilite sponsored a meet, Boston Indoor 2008.  I walked in the arena to compete and they had displays set up, full size pictures of me, the big screen was playing my Nutrilite commercial, and IBO’s were set up in a VIP section cheering!  Nutrilite sponsors four of the meets that I compete in, and each time I look forward to seeing everyone connected with them.  It’s like having an extended family there cheering and supporting me.  After the competition is over, I go to the Nutrilite tent and sign autographs where I enjoy meeting new people.  I am very proud to be a part of their company and one of their athlete representatives.  Nutrilite is a first class company with superior products.

Watch out for me this summer.  I’ve got some big competitions ahead.  

Below is a picture of my dog, Tundra.  He is a Great Pyrenees that weighs 100+ lbs.

Jenn Stuczynski, Team Nutrilite's own American Record holding, Silver Medal winning pole vaulter has been honored as American Female Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News in its February edition, which is on newsstands now.

From Jeff Diveronica of the Democrat & Chronicle:
Stuczynski, who took up the sport only four years ago, was runner-up in Beijing to reigning Olympic champion and world-record holder Yelena Isinbayeva. But Stuczynski broke her own U.S. record twice last year and four times in 14-month span dating to May 2007. She also has won five consecutive U.S. championships indoors and outdoor.

"That gave her distinction," said her coach, Spencerport native Rick Suhr. "We were very surprised, not that Jenn wasn't deserving, but (the honor) usually goes to the biggest name and a lot of times a sprinter."

Six other Americans won Olympic gold in track and field events, Suhr said, so that figured in their surprise over Stuczynski's award. No American male pole vaulter has earned the honor from the magazine, considered the top publication for track and field, in the 49 years of the award, Suhr said, and the only other female winner was Stacy Dragila in 2001.

"She's done in four years what some people won't do in a lifetime," Suhr said.

Congratulations, Jenn, on your fantastic 2008 season and all of your accomplishments both on and off the track.

Check out the March 3, 2008 issue of Sports Illustrated!!!

On page 56 there's an awesome picture of Nutrilite-sponsored athlete Jenn Stuczynski in her training site in Churchville, N.Y. (It's part of the article "The Road to Beijing: Olympic Training Towns."

Quote from the article:
"In 1996 pole vaulting coach Rick Suhr built an unusual 4,000-square-foot training site, putting two Quonsot huts end-to-end to create space for a 120-foot-long synthetic-surfaced runway leading to a vaulting pit. There is no insulation against winter temperatures, which drop into single digits."

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE! 

The picture from the article is available on www.sipictures.com

From the home page, click on "Begin Your Search for Sports Illustrated Photos." Then Search for Jenn Stuczynski – It's the image of her running in the tunnel.

Right now I'm hanging out in beautiful and sunny Hollywood, Florida for Achievers 2007!

Achievers is an amazing reward trip for the top Independent Business Owners (IBOs) in the Quixtar business. As Robin Luymes said in The Real Quixtar Blog, "Achievers is a great celebration of the successes of our top performers, a
reward for all their hard work, and an opportunity to share information that
will help build the business even bigger."

As a part of this event, Nutrilite-sponsored athlete Jenn Stuczynski is on hand signing autographs and taking photos with IBOs!

Here are some pictures from her first appearance at Achievers:

Unfortunately, Nutrilite-sponsored athlete Jenn Stuczynski had to bow out of the women's pole vault at the World Championships due to a foot injury. I received an email from her agent this morning saying Jenn just had an MRI and that even though her foot is really swollen, they're trying to be optimistic.

Jenn had high hopes going into the World Championships. She set U.S. records for the women's pole vault in May and June to become the second highest vaulter ever.

Quote from Jenn in the media right now:

"It got to the point that I really couldn't push off anymore off my left foot. Before the competition, I tried everything in order to be able to go. I tried taping it tighter. Between jumps, I was talking to my coach on moving and adjusting my marks, but it wasn't doing any good. It came to a point where I didn't want to risk hurting it any further."

Welcome Jenn Stuczynski, American record holder for the women's pole vault!