Ekaterini Stefanidi Faced Personal Challenges on Her Road to Rio Gold

By Adam Kopet, DyeStat Editor

The path Ekaterini Stefanidi took to become Olympic Champion in the pole vault goes back to when she was 15 years old and winning the 2005 IAAF World Youth Championships. Her early success did little to prevent serious challenges that could have upended her career at various stages. Stefanidi recently shared some of those challenges with Steve Landells for the IAAF.

At various stages in Stefanidi’s career, she has suffered from weight gain and becoming borderline bulimic. Even gaining two to three pounds was enough to send her into a spiral of strict eating followed by binging. Her physical development from a girl to a woman at 16 was the first time these symptoms appeared, preventing her from competing at the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships and resulting in her leaving the sport for eight months.

Since then, Stefanidi has worked to improve her diet and routine with the help of her husband and coach, Mitchell Krier. Replacing her breakfast cereal for oatmeal was the first step in the process. Now all of her meals have changed.

Another challenge Stefanidi faced was her move to the United States to attend Stanford University in 2008. The move triggered another round of weight issues, but it also provided new barriers she had not experienced before, namely one of language. Stefanidi had a command of academic English, allowing her to attend classes, but she lacked the ability to navigate socially.

As a result of this, it took Stefanidi a long time to adjust. Feeling isolated, she felt her personality change. It took time, but once that adjustment was made, she finally was able to grow as a person and as an athlete.

Those adjustments have finally paid off with a fantastic 2016. Stefanidi topped 15 feet, 9 inches (4.80m) eight times with a best of 16-0.75 (4.90m) to win the 2016 Millrose Games. Her previous best was 15-7.75 (4.77m) from 2015. Along the way, Stefanidi earned bronze at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, gold at the European Championships and Olympic gold in Rio.

Stefanidi is set to return Feb. 11 to the 110th NYRR Millrose Games.