Aiden Princena-White continues to climb pole vault competitive ladder
Few people have ever picked something up as fast as Aiden Princena-White took to pole vault. The teen took just six months to claim a national title in the sport.
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Imagine spending a bulk of your childhood working towards a sports dream, then switching to a completely different sport and immediately cementing yourself as the best in the country.
Though it sounds like a work of fiction, it is actually the true story of Kellyville’s Aiden Princena-White, 15.
In April, Aiden jumped a whopping 4.45m to claim a gold medal in pole vault at the 2019 Australian Athletics Championships — just six months after first picking up a pole.
It was an incredible achievement for Aiden, especially considering the sport was his second choice.
“I started gymnastics at the age of five,” Aiden said.
“At the age of 10, I was selected into the NSW Mens Gymnastics High Performance Program, training 28 hours, five days a week. I won numerous gold medals in the state titles for pommel horse and a bronze medal at the Australian Gymnastics Championships.
“But the demands of long hours training and school commitments were getting too much. Plus I was getting too tall for a gymnast. (So) I transferred to athletics in the field event of pole vault”
Aiden said the switch was a perfect fit.
“My gymnastics background definitely helped with my transition,” he said.
“Pole vault combines speed, strength, flexibility and mental toughness. The faster you’re able to run, the more you’re able to bend the fibreglass pole and if you can ignore the fact that you’re free falling four or five metres, it’s a lot of fun.
“You have to believe and trust in yourself that you can get up and over that bar.”
Considering how quickly he has found success, Aiden is confident that a green and gold uniform is right around the corner.
“Hopefully (I’ll) represent Australia at the Youth Commonwealth Games in 2021 and Youth Olympic Games in 2022,” he said.
Aiden is a Rouse Hill Times Junior Sports Star nominee for the 2019 Local Sports Stars competition.
The awards recognise and reward talented athletes as well as the hardworking volunteers who keep associations running each weekend.
For details or to nominate someone you know, go to localsportsstars.com.au
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