Tomorrow Ludwig will become the first American athlete to compete in an international sports competition wearing a safety mask (to protect against the Coronavirus). The live-streamed, virtual and global competition is hosted by Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH), which is one of the world’s leading wellness groups and manufacturers of hygienic paper products.
The live virtual event will include three of the world’s top pole vaulter champions, which include Matt Ludwig, Polish pole vaulter Paweł Wojciechowski and EJ Obiena of the Philippines. They will be vaulting from three countries across the globe and each participant will set his own bar height. The event is set to take place at on August 17 at 9:00 a.m. EST, where he will be jumping in Geneva, Ohio.
To learn more about this event, or to stream it live, check out the following website.
These three elite pole vaulters will be wearing Fine Guard Sports Mask, the world’s only hygienic face mask enhanced with Swiss- patented Livinguard technology, proven to effectively kill germs, bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19. “It has been breathable and I have been training in it over the last three days,” he said. “It has very good protection, and it is treated with antiviral and anti-infection coding. It is easy to breathe through. I am happy with it and I am super grateful.”
Ludwig gave a shoutout to everybody that made this possible: Fine Hygenics Holding, Fine Guard Sports Mask (James Lafferty),
Spire Institute (Charlie Powell and Tim Mack), as well as the Industrial Vault Club (David Mackey and Darren Ehmer), which is their training facility.
When asked how life has been during quarantine, he said, “Quarantine has been pretty good. I am excited to have a good competition tomorrow.”
On the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games to 2021, he said, “As a young athlete, I am okay with it. It’s an extra year to train and to prepare to make sure everything is proceeding as scheduled.”
He is looking forward to the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held at the newly-renovated Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. “That will be awesome,” he exclaimed. “I am excited to get on the new track in Hayward Field. It is gorgeous.”
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “The introduction to professional athletics.”
Ludwig offered the following inspiring advice for athletes during this pandemic: “Appreciate this time with your families. Athletics is one part of your life, so staying goal-oriented and motivated is important. Look at the world and people around you, and hopefully, this time has heightened our appreciation for the people around us.”
He defined the word success as “getting the opportunity and then fulfilling with a good performance, as far as the track and field world is concerned.” “Success is taking advantage of that opportunity,” he said.
For more information on American pole vaulter Matt Ludwig, follow him on Instagram.
