After Breaking the Big Ten Pole Vault Record, I’m Aiming Higher - The Olympics

My name is Tori Thomas. Well, my full name is Toriana Thomas, but everyone calls me Tori and I am aiming for the Olympics. Most people know I pole vault. I have been doing it since I was seven years old. When you grow up with two pole vaulters as parents, it becomes part of you before you even realize it is a sport.

Enjoying the sun between jumps.

Even though I am aiming for the olympics

Last year, I competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials, and I did something I never expected:

I left without clearing a bar.

After the prep, the travel, the plane rides and the expectations.

What surprised me most? I wasn’t devastated.

Did it sting? Of course. But, I was encouraged.

I learned something important about where I needed to grow.

Learning From the Hardest Moment

Here’s something most people don’t know:

At the professional level, you often start competitions at or near your personal best in pole vault. There’s no easing in like you would in high school or college. You’re standing at the same height as the athletes you grew up watching on social media, the record holders, the world finalists, the Olympians and realizing that you now belong there, beside them. And competing at the highest level with them.

At Trials, even though I had the height over the bar, I wasn’t prepared to start jumping at that height. Not because I wasn’t capable of it, but because I hadn’t trained for that specific scenario.

That was the moment I realized something valuable:

Most Times, it’s not that you’re not good enough...

It’s that you haven’t been in that moment yet.

And that moment will make sure you are prepared the next time it comes around. Even if that is only every four years.

So I decided 2025 would be different.

The Comeback: Breaking Fifteen Feet

I’ve always had records in my mind, even though I take a different approach. 

Going into my final year of college, I kept thinking, “what's my next big height?”

I’m not one to set an exact goal. I always say 15 feet PLUS.

Some people will shoot for an exact mark even though they are capable of doing more and that can be limiting to fixate on a number rather than going for what they are actually capable of. 

And then like slow motion, it happened. 

Six months after not clearing a lower bar at Trials, I broke 15 feet for the first time in my life.

I became the first woman in the nation in 2025 to do it.I also broke the University of Illinois school record.

I built confidence in myself that I can come and do what I am capable of. 

Same athlete.New mindset.Better preparation.More trust.More belief.

This is the part of the sport I’m falling in love with more and more… that shift that happens when you start becoming.

Loving the Process More Than the Result

The truth is, I love my life right now.I love who I’m becoming.I love the lessons this sport keeps teaching me.

I love:

• the training sessions

• the feeling of all eyes on me while I compete

• the connections with other athletes

• the pressure when looking down the runway

• the feeling of it being me against myself 

• the silence (at the takeoff) right before clearing a bar

• the quiet confidence that comes from showing up every day

• and sharing the quiet moments after success or lessons with my family

Some practices feel heavy.Some days feel off.Some jumps fall apart because I have more to learn. And once, on the biggest stage of my life, I didn’t clear a single height.

But none of that stopped me from breaking a record that stood for ten years.

And all of that will prepare me when I step on the runway at the 2028 Olympic Trials ready.

I Didn’t Do This Alone

As I step into my professional career — transitioning from Division 1 athlete to professional Olympic Hopeful — I want to thank the people who made this possible:

My family. You’ve been there from day one. I love the time we spend together and the support you've shown me my whole life.

My dad. You’ve coached me since I was using a broken crossbar as a pole.  You’ve given me the confidence to trust myself in any conditions.

Coach Mitchell. You gave me a new perspective on training, competition, and showing up prepared.

My teammates. Thank you for keeping things light on the hard days and celebrating every win — big or small.

My community. You believed in me long before results ever mattered.

Pole vault might look like an individual event,but becoming an Olympic hopeful is not an individual journey.

It takes trust.

It takes commitment.

It takes resilience.

And it takes people like you, reading this, that create a community that can lift you, support you and create an environment where you can fly.

Where I’m Going Next

If you’re wondering what’s next, here it is:

I’m stepping fully into my pro chapter, and currently deciding where to base myself for training. 

Every session now is about stepping into my full potential and the version of myself who can break into the top 32 in the world, earn access to major international competitions, and walk confidently onto the runway at LA28.

I’m also creating a space for athletes to get support through my journey.

I’m training with intention, precision, and calm confidence.And I’m building toward the biggest runway of my life and I hope you join me in that.

I’m an Olympic Hopeful not because of one moment or one record…

but because of everything that came before and after it.

I’m proud of the records.I’m proud of the growth.But most of all, I’m proud of who I am becoming. And I’m not done.

LA28, let’s make it happen.

---

If you want to continue to be a part of my journey to the 2028 Olympic Trials, I would love to connect. Your support means everything as I take the next steps in my professional career. 

Whether you are a brand looking to partner, a supporter excited to cheer, or an athlete following along with your own journey, your support truly makes a difference.Thank you for being here and believing in the work it takes to reach the next level. You can connect with me below.

Support Tori