From High School Records to the Pro Ranks—with Chloe Cunliffe - EP006
Holistic High Performance Podcast
Release Date: 11/30/2020
Holistic High Performance Podcast
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Our host, Daniel Christofferson, is the Founder and CEO of Holistic High Performance, a state-of-the-art performance and recovery center based in Seattle, Washington. He has been working in structural integration since 1996, helping thousands of clients transform their lives through the alignment of body, mind and soul. Best known for working with athletes, Daniel and his team support clients in realizing relief from pain, recovering from injury, and fulfilling their optimal athletic potential.
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Chloe joins Daniel to explain how she discovered her love for pole vaulting and why she chose a professional career over college. She shares what it’s like to be a pro athlete in training for the Olympic Trials, describing the drills she is doing to improve her technique and walking us through the training progression for her sport. Listen in for Chloe’s insight on recovering quickly from injury and find out why she is considering massage school as a complement to her career as an athlete.
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Whitney joins Daniel to discuss what inspired her transition from dance to track at the age of 16 and share the highlights of her career as a college sprinter at Colorado Mesa. She describes the challenge of balancing a full-time job with training for the Olympics, explaining who she goes to for support and how she is staying motivated through the pandemic. Listen in for Whitney’s insight on viewing body work and other self-care strategies as a necessary investment in yourself and your career as an athlet
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Neil joins Daniel to discuss what happened the day of his traumatic climbing accident and describe the serious injuries he sustained as a result. He explains the elaborate healing routine he adopted post-surgery (while he was immobile) and explains why the early days of physical therapy were such an emotional experience.
info_outlineWhat does it look like for an athlete to go from setting high school records straight to the pro ranks? For pole vaulter Chloe Cunliffe, the transition has been a positive one, giving her the chance to focus solely on her sport. But there is a learning curve. So, how is training for and competing in high school meets different from the pros?
Chloe is a professional pole vaulter in training for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. She holds both the indoor and outdoor national high school records, posting an indoor best of 14 feet, 9 inches and an outdoor mark of 14 feet, 8 inches in her standout career at West Seattle High School. After graduation, Chloe signed with Puma Athletics, and her outdoor mark of 4.47 meters in the 2019 pro season ranked 48th in the world.
On this episode of Holistic High Performance, Chloe joins Daniel to explain how she discovered her love for pole vaulting and why she chose a professional career over college. She shares what it’s like to be a pro athlete in training for the Olympic Trials, describing the drills she is doing to improve her technique and walking us through the training progression for her sport. Listen in for Chloe’s insight on recovering quickly from injury and find out why she is considering massage school as a complement to her career as an athlete.
What You Will Learn
What influenced Chloe’s decision to give up gymnastics and return to track
How Chloe discovered her love for pole vaulting
Chloe’s pole vault training with her dad and the track team at West Seattle High School
The records Chloe broke her junior and senior year of high school
Why Chloe chose a professional career over college
How being a pro athlete differs from Chloe’s high school experience
The recovery team Chloe left behind when she moved from Seattle to Atlanta
What Chloe’s daily routine looks like and how she is staying motivated through the pandemic
How Chloe benefitted from the postponement of the Olympics and what it will take to qualify
Why Chloe is considering massage school and a career in body work
The injuries Chloe sustained her senior year and how she was able to recover quickly
The drills Chloe is doing to improve her technique and what the training progression looks like for pole vaulters
Connect with Chloe Cunliffe
Connect with Daniel Christofferson
Resources
The Anatomy Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit and Lawrence M. Elson