By REBECCA BILLS
Representing Australia in pole vault at Commonwealth Games…
FOR the majority of Joel Pocklington’s life, he has had one goal – to represent Australia.
And this July, Pocklington’s dream will come true.
The Upwey pole vault champion was selected in April after the National Championships in Melbourne to represent Australia at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“I’ve had a pretty good season, and this is the best way to top it off,” he said.
Pocklington said in the selection process there were A and B qualifying standards.
“For the pole vault this year, there wasn’t anyone qualifying in the A standards, so you were likely to be in with a shot to make the team if you jumped a 5.25 metre jump,” he said.
“You just had to jump that once in the season, if you jumped that you won the nationals and were in – I went and jumped a little bit higher than that nine times.”
As a child Pocklington was a keen gymnast, but as he got older he lost interest in the sport.
“My dad was a national level sprinter who trained at Box Hill Athletics Club and one day he took me down to the track and I got into sprinting,” he said.
“My current pole vault coach Mark Stewart heard that I was a gymnast and a sprinter and asked me to give pole vaulting a go.
“He has been my coach since then which is now going back around 14 years – it’s really good as we know each other really well, work together really well and he knows how to get the best from me.”
The 28-year-old and new dad for the second time said balancing family time, work and the sport could be a struggle.
“I’m a physiotherapist working 9am to 5pm each day, I then train in the evenings and it really doesn’t leave enough time for family which is tough,” he said.
“It’s a hard sacrifice that you have to make and you feel a bit selfish, but that’s the way it is.
Pocklington credits his wife Beth for his ongoing success and said it wouldn’t be possible without her support.
“She enables me to do these things as she is able to run the house as I’m not there as much as I’d like to be,” he said.
“She always comes along to my meets and she’s so excited for me to be in the team.”
Pocklington said after a week off after the birth of his second son he was back into training five to six days a week.
“We are starting to get back into a little bit harder training as I need to start peaking again around June,” he said.
“I head over to the UK a few weeks prior to the games for a few competitions before the games begin.
“I’d like to make the final and if I could place anyway between fourth and sixth in my event that would be amazing.”
