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If a young, emerging athlete should read any story this year make sure it is that of Commonwealth Games pole vault bronze medallist Imogen Ayris.

Facing all manner of physical and mental obstacles, the 21-year vaulter endured a far from perfect year. Encountering a nasty hand injury from a snapped pole, the mental trauma of no-heighting during World Championships qualification and a broken foot the tough-as-teak Aucklander magnificently rose to all challenges to earn her spot on the podium in Birmingham with an heroic display.

It was some performance from the University of Auckland Physiology and Exercise Science student, who

revealed an inner core of steel and a resilience which will stand in her good stead in the future.

The 2020 and 2021 New Zealand champion was in the form of her life coming into the 2021-22 domestic campaign.

Optimistic for the season, Imogen consistently vaulted over 4.45m (the Commonwealth Games B standard) and her PB of 4.50m set in December 2020 looked decidedly vulnerable.

However, just five days before the Sir Graeme Douglas International in February disaster struck after her pole snapped in training causing a serious hand wound.

“It is the most confusing thing because are just taking off on the jump and then, bam, you are on the mat,” explains Imogen of her first personal experience of a pole snapping. “It happens so quickly and all that force you have generated dissipates and goes through your hand.”

The webbing was ripped through her hand, stitches applied and she faced a nervous wait to see if the injury spelled the end of her domestic campaign.

Sidelined for the Sir Graeme Douglas International – a little under three weeks after the incident she was back competing with heavy strapping and foam padding on the hand.

Competing in pain she understandably underperformed at the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships, winning silver with a best of 4.25m. But later in March the former gymnast hinted at her ability to fight in the face of adversity by equalling her season’s best of 4.45m at a McKinnon Shield meet.

As the wound healed in May she received a huge boost when her selection was confirmed for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“It was such a relief because I knew I was capable,” she recalls.

Conditionally selected for the World Championships she performed well at the Oceania Area Championships in Mackay to take silver – behind training partner Olivia McTaggart – and the points gained in Australia enabled Imogen to book World Champs selection for Eugene on world ranking.

“World Champs sort of snuck up on me,” explains Imogen. “I lost a lot of points at nationals (after only jumping 4.25m) and as I didn’t finish the season as I would have wanted, I accepted that World Champs wasn’t going to happen. In my mind that was fine because there was another World Champs next year but to jump well enough at Oceania Champs and hang in there for a rankings slot was a great thrill.”

Flying out to the US for pre-camp proved an eventful experience for the Takapuna Athletics Club athlete. On her first training session in Monmouth she felt the foot pain for the first time which would later result in her broken foot diagnosis.

But while aware of the pain, it did not unduly concern the vaulter.

“We got the foot strapped and we worked on mobilising the foot, but I honestly didn’t think too much of it – I thought I just picked it up from travelling.”

However, despite the foot niggle everything was starting to come together for the North Shore-based vaulter. For three weeks back in New Zealand post the Oceania Champs she made some technical and physical gains and shortly after pre-camp in US she realised she was running quicker than ever.

“I initially had this mental disconnect between my brain and my body because my body was moving so well and I wasn’t quite used to that. It was weird making that adjustment but after a few days I moved my run up back a metre, I found the right poles and I made that right connection. Once I did that I started jumping over some high bungees. Technically and physically I was jumping better than ever.”

Nonetheless, on a boiling hot day in Eugene, qualification inexplicable did not go to plan as Imogen struggled to find her rhythm and she missed out on her opening height of 4.20m.

The performance built up a lot of frustration and anger in the vaulter and even to this day she is at a loss to explain her performance.

“I honestly still don’t have all the answers,” she admits. “Warm up went great but I just didn’t click when it mattered. I don’t think the height was an issue, I was just landing down on the bar.

After brooding with “anger” for one or two days she quickly realised she has the ideal opportunity to make amends just two weeks later at the Commonwealth Games.

Rather than sit and sulk – two days after her non qualification she carried out a pole vault session – which could not have gone better.

“I was lucky that I had people around me I could talk too like Jeremy (McColl, my coach), the physio and others who all reminded me Eugene did not define who I am,” she explains. “I still had a great support behind me and that vaulting session I jumped over bungees like nothing had happened. It was important to know I hadn’t lost anything and Eugene was just one of those days.”

Landing in Cardiff for Commonwealth Games pre-camp, Imogen then faced anther challenge as the pain intensified in her foot. But with an impressive stoicism and fortitude she remained laser-focused on her goals.

“I didn’t modify training and I kept training as normal, but we were getting concerned the foot wasn’t getting better,” she adds. “I only really felt the foot after vaulting sessions – it would be very sore for the rest of the day but no way did I think the foot was fractured – had I done so I think it would have been much worse.”

On competition the day was right foot was strapped but pushing any pain she may felt from her mind, the immediate focus was on avoiding the same fate she had suffered at World Championships.

A first time red flag at her opening height of 4.25m created an initial wobble but after soaring over with her second clearance the shackles with instantaneously removed and she could settle into the competition.

“Once I cleared that first height I was so confident on the runway. I was just having fun like I was jumping in training and I had no issues at 4.35m and 4.45m (clearing both with her first attempt).”

With Olympic bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw of England having withdrawn from the competition after suffering a fall in warm up and defending champion Alysha Newman of Canada also calling a premature end to her title defence because of injury only four women had cleared 4.45m and as another of these vaulters was Imogen’s training partner Olivia McTaggart – New Zealand was guaranteed a medal.

“I knew I had a lot more in me than 4.45m that day, or at least I thought I did,” she recalls. Molly Caudery (of England) had a perfect record up until that point and I had one failure at 4.25m and Livi needed three attempts to clear 4.45m, so we all knew where we placed on countback.

“Livi was the first to miss out with her final attempt which was emotional for her after the rough build up she had endured (with illness) but no one had the perfect story. It was my turn after Livi but I couldn’t clear 4.50m and neither could Molly but I’d won a bronze. It then led to a crazy few minutes. I just started crying. Livi then gave me a hug. It was a special moment.”

With her mother, brother and boyfriend and his parents in the crowd as well as the sister, brother and cousin of her late British-born father Barny, who passed away from cancer in 2020, it was poignant Imogen had claimed her medal in England.

Undergoing a blizzard of media interviews that night and the following day it was only 48 hours after her triumph did she undergo a scan on the injured right foot which revealed a broken second metatarsal.

From the high of earning a podium spot, Imogen was on crutches contemplating a long recovery and a premature end to her season.

Admitting she has a higher pain threshold than most and facing a period of recuperation from the injury the former Takapuna Grammar student nonetheless fully expects to by fully fit and raring to go for the forthcoming domestic season.

“Winning bronze (at the Commonwealth Games) is the best confidence booster I could have had after my performance at World Championships,” she adds. “If I hadn’t have performed well in Birmingham I would have come home and fixated on the fact I didn’t perform at a major champs and not really know why. To be able to come out and perform at Commonwealth Games was really important for me. Knowing I wasn’t jumping anywhere near what I was capable that day and to still be sat in bronze is really exciting.”