Greensburg native and pole vaulter headed to 2024 Summer Olympics
GREENSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- A little over a week ago, Greensburg native Bridget Williams won first place in women's pole vaulting at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
This win has set up this 28-year-old for her first trip to the Olympic Games, which are set to commence later this month in Paris, France.
"I am just so grateful," said Williams. "I think I have felt every emotion known to man over the last week or so, but I am just super grateful for my team behind me. I always say that my success is not mine alone, it's everyone that's behind me."
Before she was on Team USA, 10 years ago, then-Bridget Guy was a Hempfield Spartan, winning two PIAA State Championships in 2013 and 2014, and becoming an individual state pole vaulting champion her senior year.
"At Hempfield, our coaches trained us in a way where nothing but 100% was acceptable, and that paid off in the long run," Williams said. "I always joke now with the coaches that I work with, that post-collegiately, that some of the running workouts I did in high school were harder than my training workouts now."
Two of Williams' former coaches, Hempfield's head track and field coach Ron Colland and pole vaulting coach Melissa White, remember Williams' tenacity well.
"The first few years, as a ninth- and 10th-grader, there were other girls as talented, or even a little faster than her," Colland said. "But she continued to persevere, working hard in the weight room, working with plyometrics, and having great coaches, making her that much stronger."
"We had a saying that we used together and that was, 'How bad do you want it,'" said White. "You got to want it more than that. And we would always say that to each other whenever she was getting ready for a third attempt at a height or something like that. I would say, 'You got to want it more than that,' and she said, 'I do.' And now, she is an Olympian."
Both Colland and White are still very much in touch with Williams. They are not only immensely proud of her, but they are wishing her all the best.
Hempfield High School is currently working out logistics for a watch party to cheer on Williams at this summer's games, and they hope to make an announcement soon so that everyone locally can take part.
For Williams, though she has already achieved so much in her career as an athlete, she has one goal for Paris: a gold medal.
"My hope is to win," said Williams. "I think it would be not fair to myself and my coaches to accept anything less or to put a goal that was anything less than the gold in Paris, but of course, a podium finish would be just as good also, but I want to take it all home."