The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
42°F
Current Conditions
Few clouds
View complete weather report
Subscribe now

Blind pole vaulter misses out on medal

Brown motivated to return to Texas meet

Emory Rains High School’s Charlotte Brown, who is legally blind, finished eighth out of nine competitors in the Texas Class 3A pole vault. “It’s a privilege to even get to come,” she said. (Associated Press)
Jim Vertuno Associated Press
Emory Rains High School’s Charlotte Brown, who is legally blind, finished eighth out of nine competitors in the Texas Class 3A pole vault. “It’s a privilege to even get to come,” she said. (Associated Press)

AUSTIN, Texas – A legally blind 15-year-old pole vaulter cleared three heights at the Texas state championship but failed to win a medal.

Charlotte Brown of rural Emory Rains High School was one of the top qualifiers in girls’ Class 3A with a height of 11 feet, 6 inches. Her best vault of Saturday’s final was 10-6 and she missed on three chances at 11-0 before leaving the track to a standing ovation from several hundred people watching her event.

Brown was born with normal vision but developed problems while an infant. She has no depth perception, sees no color and cannot distinguish shapes. Her range of vision is similar to looking through a tiny straw.

Brown is able to vault by using intense concentration on her approach to the pit, counting her steps and listening to coach Derek Smith yell when he tells her to launch. She places an 80-foot strip of dark, artificial turf next to the running lane to create a light/dark contrast she can follow to keep her running in a straight line.

Brown easily cleared her first three jumps at 9-6, 10-0 and 10-6. The problems began when she clipped the bar with her left elbow on her first attempt at 11-0. After missing her next two jumps, Brown ultimately finished eighth among nine competitors.

The winning height was 12-9 by meet favorite Kally Long of Wimberley, last year’s silver medalist.

After bowing out, Brown slightly slumped her shoulders and got a hug from Smith. Several of her competitors shook her hand or hugged her as she left the track.

Brown shrugged off the defeat as simply not being at her best.

“I’m still happy because there’s a couple of hundred kids who didn’t get to be here. It’s a privilege to even get to come. I’m one of the top nine in the state, so that’s motivation to come back here and win state,” Brown said.

After she was done, Brown’s father, Ian, rolled up the strip of artificial turf and packed up the weights used to hold it down. Ian Brown said his daughter will be disappointed by the loss but motivated.

“She’ll probably want to vault tomorrow and start thinking about the future,” Ian Brown said. “I’m not disappointed in the least. She got here.”