THE WILL TO WIN LAWRENCE JOHNSON Editor’s Note: The following is Pole Vault Carolina’s interview with Lawrence Johnson, who joined our club on Zoom for an inspirational talk. Lawrence is a NCAA record holder; 1996 Olympian; Silver Medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney; 2001 Indoor World Champion, and the first Black man to represent the United States in the pole vault at the Olympics and in international competition. This interview has been adapted for TAKEOFF.
18
Jose R. San Miguel of Pole Vault Carolina: Lawrence grew up in Norfolk, VA. I met him in 1995 when he was a junior at the University of Tennessee. At the time, I said to myself, he is the future of the sport. He was a great athlete, and an amazing competitor. When he spoke, it was not cockiness, but conviction. Like, I’ve got this and I’m going to win. He committed to work harder than anyone else because he wanted to be better than everyone else. Lawrence was a student of the event. What struck me the most was that he expected to win.
Lawrence (LoJo): I appreciate the opportunity to speak and to be part of the program. When it comes to the will to win, I have to reflect on some of the things that really motivated me in training. As a high school freshman, I came across the event by chance. We would try to impress the girls during lunch by doing back flips in the gym. I kept stepping it up, until I ended up on the top level of the bleachers. I back flipped off. When I landed, a hand grabbed my shoulder and the PE teacher/track coach said, “Come with me.”
Lawrence used his talents to open doors and tear down stereotypes. He was the first African-American to win an Olympic medal in pole vault. To be blunt, pole vault was a sport for white people. Lawrence challenged that. His athletic journey was more complicated than the physical demands every athlete faces, because of the color of his skin. We remember important moments in time, and I vividly recall the details, because I knew the story behind it.
Following him into his office, I thought I was in trouble. He set me down in the chair, and said he wanted me to come out for track and field, specifically for pole vault. So I went out the first day. He threw the bar up at 8’6” and told me to come down the runway and do whatever I thought I needed to do to get over it. I had never seen pole vaulting before. The only visual I had was that episode of Tom and Jerry, where they vault against each other at the Olympics. I tried to imitate what I saw on the cartoon, and I guess I did alright because I cleared the bar on the first try. My coach was very excited. He thought that would score at, or possibly win our city meet.
Lawrence attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He was a 4-time NCAA champion and record holder. His mark of 19’7” stood for twenty-two years until it was broken by Mondo Duplantis in May of 2019. Lawrence finished 8th at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. In Sydney in 2000, he won Olympic silver on attempts. A fantastic accomplishment! He went on to win the World Championships in 2001.
I went home and told my father I was going to the Olympics. He looked at me and laughed, asking “What makes you think you’re so special?”
Lawrence currently coaches a club, LoJo Vault Assault, in the greater Philadelphia area. You will see him at the larger national meets like New Balance, with a group of athletes, and his wife Christina by his side, helping the team as well. He’s not only knowledgeable, he’s super approachable, and willing to share his expertise.
He explained that there were a hundred kids at my school who also wanted to go to the Olympics; there were another 12 schools in the district, and 40 schools in the region. And when you get to the state level, there are thousands of athletes who want to be Olympians. So what made me so special?
T A K E O F F
M A G A Z I N E
