Jack Hicking is our 22nd Athlete to speak to us about making the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships Team. Members of the Spark Team will compete in Eugene (USA), from July 22nd to 27th 2014.
How did you get involved in Athletics?
I really enjoyed my school athletics carnivals when I was younger so my mum registered me Bankstown Sports Little Athletics Club in the under 11’s and I have never looked back!
When you first heard that you made the team, what was your initial reaction?
I don’t think I had any major reaction, I knew I had made the team whilst I was still competing at Australian Junior’s and I still had 3 jumps left at a PB height, so I think my mind was more focused on that. I actually still don’t think it has hit me, maybe on the pre-departure camp or even the day we leave for Vancouver I will realise haha.
Are you doing anything differently in preparation for this competition?
I went back a further 2 steps in my run up and am really focusing on my technique whilst also trying to keep the number of jumps I do each session quite high. But overall not much has changed…
What are you most looking forward to about the trip to Eugene (USA)?
I think competing in front of such a big crowd will be amazing, yet slightly daunting – something that will definitely keep the adrenaline running. Also getting to compete at a track with such rich history will be cool.
Who has been your biggest inspiration in this sport?
When I first started it would definitely have to be Steve Hooker, he was the golden boy of athletics at the time and I just so happened to be doing the same event. After really becoming interested in pole vault I also look up to Sergey Bubka – his technique is always something my squad looks back on as a technically correct model and when you have broken the world record 35 times, I think you are an inspiration to an athlete of any discipline.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to become a professional Athlete?
Just enjoy training!!! If you are motivated to go to training every day, you are much more likely to put the effort in and reap the rewards. Also when you choose an event to focus on, get a high quality coach. It takes a lot less time to learn the skill correctly in the first place than it does to go back and fix all the mistakes you may have picked up earlier.
