Defying Gravity on the Road to Rio
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Hi friends, family, and fans! For those who have stumbled onto this fundraiser my name is Mary Saxer and I am a professional pole vaulter pursuing my dream of representing the United States at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York where I attended Lancaster High School and became the first high school girl to ever clear 14 feet. I went on to break the high school girls’ national record 7 times, broke the national Junior Record (for the 19 years old and under age group), became a three-time National High School Champion in the vault, and still hold the New York State record.
I attended the University of Notre Dame where I earned a degree in marketing. There I became the school record holder, a three-time Big East Conference Pole Vault Champion, a two-time All-American, and placed 3rd at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor National Championships.
Upon graduation I chose to continue vaulting in pursuit of my Olympic dreams. Some highlights from my professional vault career include being crowned the 2014 Indoor National Champion, 8th place at the 2014 Indoor World Championships, 2012 U.S. Indoor World Championship team member, top 10 world ranking in 2013, and a top 20 world ranking in 2011, 2014, and 2015.
This is my 2nd go around in hopes of making the U.S. Olympic team. In 2012 I was the alternate by finishing 4th at the Olympic Trials. When the bar fell in 2012 it fueled a fire deep inside me to commit another 4 years of my life pursuing a spot on the 2016 Rio Olympic team. Despite all the success and struggles in my career I’m proud to say I have shown the true spirit of someone from Buffalo by never giving up on myself.
Where you guys come in:
The U.S. Olympic team is “The Hardest Team on Earth to Make”. Athletes in each event must have the Olympic A standard of 4.50m (14’9”) and place top 3 in their event at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
The 2016 season is off to a great start as I just completed my best indoor season ever. I tied my personal best of 4.71m (15’5.5”), which is currently the 7th highest jump in the world this year. Training is going better than ever and I am very optimistic heading into outdoor season and the build up to the Olympic Trials in July.
My idea for this fundraiser came about because people often ask how they can help support my Olympic journey. I am fortunate to have a great support group in place. The New York Athletic Club (“NYAC”), Nike, and UCS Spirit help me financially in many ways. Without their support, I would absolutely not be where I am today. That being said, many expenses must be covered directly by my coach and I. The biggest expenses include travel costs for my coach, my poles (airline pole bag fees range from $75-$300 one way) and other travel overages I face. Typically meets only provide an athlete $300 to $800 to cover travel that can cost over $2,000 round trip. I am left covering the rest.
I compete as often as I can worldwide to be prepared to achieve my Olympic pursuit. Therefore, costs can add up quickly. As an example, I spent over $30,000 on travel expenses in 2015. As mentioned before the meets only cover a fraction of these expenses. The support I receive in this fundraiser will go towards helping offset the costs I incur chasing my Olympic Dream.
Anybody that donates will have his or her name written on my pole bag that will travel around the world with me. Thank you for being the best fans a girl could ask for!
For frequent updates on my journey be sure to follow me on Instagram (@marysaxer), Twitter (@SaxDefyGravity), my Facebook fan page, and my website marysaxer.com.
I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York where I attended Lancaster High School and became the first high school girl to ever clear 14 feet. I went on to break the high school girls’ national record 7 times, broke the national Junior Record (for the 19 years old and under age group), became a three-time National High School Champion in the vault, and still hold the New York State record.
I attended the University of Notre Dame where I earned a degree in marketing. There I became the school record holder, a three-time Big East Conference Pole Vault Champion, a two-time All-American, and placed 3rd at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor National Championships.
Upon graduation I chose to continue vaulting in pursuit of my Olympic dreams. Some highlights from my professional vault career include being crowned the 2014 Indoor National Champion, 8th place at the 2014 Indoor World Championships, 2012 U.S. Indoor World Championship team member, top 10 world ranking in 2013, and a top 20 world ranking in 2011, 2014, and 2015.
This is my 2nd go around in hopes of making the U.S. Olympic team. In 2012 I was the alternate by finishing 4th at the Olympic Trials. When the bar fell in 2012 it fueled a fire deep inside me to commit another 4 years of my life pursuing a spot on the 2016 Rio Olympic team. Despite all the success and struggles in my career I’m proud to say I have shown the true spirit of someone from Buffalo by never giving up on myself.
Where you guys come in:
The U.S. Olympic team is “The Hardest Team on Earth to Make”. Athletes in each event must have the Olympic A standard of 4.50m (14’9”) and place top 3 in their event at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
The 2016 season is off to a great start as I just completed my best indoor season ever. I tied my personal best of 4.71m (15’5.5”), which is currently the 7th highest jump in the world this year. Training is going better than ever and I am very optimistic heading into outdoor season and the build up to the Olympic Trials in July.
My idea for this fundraiser came about because people often ask how they can help support my Olympic journey. I am fortunate to have a great support group in place. The New York Athletic Club (“NYAC”), Nike, and UCS Spirit help me financially in many ways. Without their support, I would absolutely not be where I am today. That being said, many expenses must be covered directly by my coach and I. The biggest expenses include travel costs for my coach, my poles (airline pole bag fees range from $75-$300 one way) and other travel overages I face. Typically meets only provide an athlete $300 to $800 to cover travel that can cost over $2,000 round trip. I am left covering the rest.
I compete as often as I can worldwide to be prepared to achieve my Olympic pursuit. Therefore, costs can add up quickly. As an example, I spent over $30,000 on travel expenses in 2015. As mentioned before the meets only cover a fraction of these expenses. The support I receive in this fundraiser will go towards helping offset the costs I incur chasing my Olympic Dream.
Anybody that donates will have his or her name written on my pole bag that will travel around the world with me. Thank you for being the best fans a girl could ask for!
For frequent updates on my journey be sure to follow me on Instagram (@marysaxer), Twitter (@SaxDefyGravity), my Facebook fan page, and my website marysaxer.com.
Organizer
Mary Saxer Sibears
Organizer
Boston, MA
