The stillness of the morning is when Sandi Morris finds her peace. She’s surrounded by a legion of plants that fill up any empty space in her sunroom. The sun beams through the window, giving light and life to the living organisms that surround Morris, as she sips on her cappuccino that she delicately makes in the morning, while also vaulting into the journal that she keeps.
This 20-30 minute routine brings about a certain peace and joy that Morris has within her soul. She’s surrounded by the wonderful things that make her unique, which allows her to be her best self when it matters most.
“I think that sport brings so much chaos to my life that I have found a way to balance that and cope with that in a way,” she said. “But I’ve always been this way. I’ve always been an outdoorsy girl. I’ve always loved animals. I joke all the time that I live under a rock and I kind of detach myself from the world because sport is pop culture. When I’m on the circuit and I’m competing, I’m surrounded by the media, human interaction, social media, and just being in the public eye, and that gets tiring. And I’m a little bit of an introvert in the sense that I get energized from not being looked at. When I’m at my house, and I’m not in front of a camera, I’m just either with (my husband, Tyrone) and my dogs, or I’m not with anything. I’m just sitting there with my plants. That’s where I get my peace that balances the chaos of being an athlete.”
Morris is passionate when it comes to the things that she loves, such as her plants, animals and her job as a pole vaulter. Morris shows her passion in the midst of competition after completing her vaults. Her passion stems from the confidence that she has in herself and who she is as a person.
“Like most people, there are a lot of people who when they’re kids growing up through elementary, middle and high school, feel like they don’t fit in,” she said. “And that was always me. But once I got through college, especially into adulthood, I learned how to embrace all of those things that made me so different because I realized that once I start expressing those things that make me different, the people who are actually the same as me, flock around me, and then I find my people and it makes me realize I’m not alone in being a certain way. And it manifests itself – just accepting myself for who I am allows those unique sides of myself to flourish. And it brings me confidence when I’m on the runway because I’ve accepted myself and I feel confidence everywhere that I go because I know who I am, I know what I stand for. I know the things that I am passionate about.”
The passion and confidence that Morris carries has helped her in some of the more difficult stretches of her journey as a pole vaulter. It’s also built a toughness that allows Morris to face any form of adversity that she faces head on, while maintaining the confidence that trouble won’t last always.
“I really do enjoy the thrill of the chase, the thrill of the pursuit. And I really believe that there are things that I have yet to achieve that are possible, and that that possibility is what keeps me going,” she said. “I think when people lose hope in themselves and they don’t see any potential in themselves, that’s when they start to go downhill. And I’ve had moments, I’ve had some moments over the last two – three seasons where I think to myself, can I keep doing this – keep putting my body through all of this. You have to train so hard to be able to perform at that level. But I just stay positive, and I take every curveball on headfirst and grab it by the horns, and whatever I’ve got to do, whatever rehab I need to do, if I need to change my diet, if I need to, whatever, I’m going to just take control of it. I think forging your own path is the only way when you have curve balls thrown at you, you just say screw it, like I have to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to get through this.
But doing something like this over such an extended period of time, you have to understand that that’s not going to be a straight linear line. And it’s okay, then it goes down sometimes. And that’s when you have to just realize that this doesn’t mean I’m stuck here forever. I can still go back up. And I still believe in myself. And that’s what keeps me going.”
Morris has achieved remarkable success in her career as a professional. She’s won 2 indoor World Championships gold medals, three Outdoor World Championships silver medals, while also securing a silver medal in the 2016 Olympic Games.
Morris continues to work towards her goal of winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games and the Outdoor World Championships. But if that goal is not met, Morris will have peace and no regrets, because she gave it everything she has, and she knows that her worth is greater than a medal.
“That has been a reckoning I’ve had to have with myself, especially in 2022 after that third silver medal,” she said. “I think I just wanted it too much. I wanted it too much to where I was disappointed with a silver medal at the World Championships. And it’s great to be at that level where I was, but it’s not great to have such high expectations of yourself that you’re going to hate yourself if you don’t achieve that thing. That’s just ridiculous. So yes, I will be okay because I’ve already gone through that reckoning. And I feel like right now who I am today is a different person than I was maybe even just a year ago. And at least in my mindset of how I’m approaching my career from this point forward, and I think I’ve made peace with whatever might happen. And I’m just going to completely embed myself in the process of getting to the point where I am performing the best that I can possibly perform on the day. Put everything I have into it, and know that on the other side of it, whatever happens, happens. But I know that I gave it 100% And I have made peace with whatever happens on the other side of it.”
Perseverance, peace and passion are qualities that Morris will take with her in the upcoming season as she continues to prepare for the Olympic Trials with the hope of making the Olympic Team that will compete in Paris this summer. When it’s all said and done, Morris wants others to remember her for not only how she persevered and for the peace that she had, but for the grit that she showed in every season.
“I want people to remember that I was a fighter and that I persevered,” she said. “When you see me on the runway, when you watch me compete, I want the spectators to be like, ‘Damn, that girl’s a fighter.’ And no matter how ugly a jump might be or what goes down in a competition, I’m gonna scrap it out. Be scrappy.”
I love how the writer told Sandi Morris story. I could really feel her peace, passion and the perservance it takes to excel in life and as a premier Pole Vaulter. Great job!
This is really the way you feel during your travel in life this story should reach alot of young athletes and non athletes who struggle wit who they are or who they will become this is extraordinary story.