In 2004, he won the gold medal in pole vault at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, with a jump of 5.95 meters, and at the time, he had set an Olympic record. “That was crazy. It was four years in the making though. By the way I got to the Olympics a lot of work had been done, and everything went as planned,” he said. “It was pretty much planned that I was going to execute certain tasks, and I was going to execute my plan, and if I were to do that, then a gold in Athens would be had,” he added.
On hearing the national anthem played for him at the Athens Olympic Games, he said, “It was pretty surreal. You never prepare for it. I didn’t even think for one second what it would feel like, until I got on the podium and I was standing there. I was trying to absorb it all at once.”
Another proud moment for Mack was reaching the six meter club. “I focused on what I needed to do, so when I jumped six meters, I couldn’t believe it,” he said.
Mack had nothing but kind remarks for fellow American pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, who took home the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. “I was really happy with Sam and what he accomplished. Sam is a great guy and a great competitor. He is young, so I can foresee a lot more things in his future,” he said. “Sam is very outgoing and I hope the best for win.”
Regarding the Tim Mack Pole Vault Academy, he said, “I want to continue coaching. That’s what I do, and I have a passion for it. I’m trying to help people reach their goals. It’s always about the event. I’m trying to get them to master the event. I want the people to get the most out of themselves.”
He defined the word success as “Having a goal, and doing everything in your power to attain that goal.”
For more information on Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack, check out his official website. To learn more about the Tim Mack Pole Vault Academy, visit its Facebook page.
