Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney is feeling good and is making positive strides as she works towards qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“Things have been great, I’ve been progressing every week. I’ve been running and doing some vault sessions, and I’m starting to feel like a pole vaulter again,’ McCartney said.
McCartney was last year diagnosed with a genetic disorder causing autoimmune inflammation which targets the body’s tendons. The Aucklander has started treatment and is noticing the improvements.
“I’m not limping anymore, which is huge. I haven’t had any setbacks, so I need to keep being patient, which is the hardest part. I’ll have a limited time to try and qualify for the Olympic Games, which is something I haven’t had to deal with before and a new challenge.”
McCartney hopes to begin competing by April; however, focusing on what she can control is her primary goal.
“I don’t want to rush things. The qualifying height is something I can normally jump and achieve when I am healthy, so why risk speeding the process and jeopardizing further injury?”
Although injuries have challenged McCartney, she has a plan to stay healthy throughout her journey to qualify for Tokyo 2020.
“The end of last year was tough because I experienced 12 months of just not knowing what was going on. Being injured, new injury after new injury, was hard, but now I know what’s going on I am on track and positive about the recovery process.”
McCartney credits her support team for helping her to soar back to health as she remains patient in her attempts to qualifiy for Tokyo 2020.