Before the Meet
Photos and Writing by Chelsea Goehring
Everyone always sees the outcome of a track meet. They see victory or defeat. Gold or nothing. But no one ever gets to see the blood, sweat, and tears put into an athletes sport before the big day. Katie Nageotte, a professional pole vaulter training at Washington State University in hopes to represent Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She is right on track with a win at the 2018 USA Indoors and coming in 5th at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championship in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Throughout this project I wanted to tell a story through photography, about the work an athlete puts in before a big event. Because being an athlete really is a "Labor of Love".
Before every jump session, Katie sticks to a strict warm up program.
Stretching is key.
This is a picture of Katie stretching before her jump session.
High knees is one of her favorite warm up.
Once Katie is warmed up she puts on her Nike spikes, whom she is sponsored by.
This shows the run up to the jump.
This picture is moments before impact with the box, which will begin her vault.
In most session, she practices with a bungee and is really concentrating on her form.
"The feeling of free falling is like nothing I can explain, I love what I do."
And a good stretch at the end.