American pole vaulter Matt Ludwig sat down and chatted #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about his latest endeavors.
“It is exciting to be here,” Ludwig said about being at The Armory in New York where the 116th annual Millrose Games were held. “I jumped in high school one time here at The Armory. It was a pretty unique experience. It’s a very small and intimate venue for the fans. To be in something as historic and marquee as the Millrose Games is very exciting, especially the 116th edition of it.”
“To have packed stands with people that are going to be so excited and cheering, and clapping us through is really great,” he added.
With 2024 being an Olympic year, he is looking forward to the U.S. Olympic Trials in the summer. “Hopefully, I will punch my ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” he said. “It’s a very competitive state of pole vault right now in the United States, but it’s nothing that can’t be achieved or overcome.”
“Training has been going well. I’ve made some various changes in my training program, where I feel I am going to be stronger and prepared,” he added.
On his daily motivations, he noted, “My motivations have changed throughout the years. In my high school days, I wanted to be better than my peers and I had a very competitive mindset in a very projective way.”
“Once I got through college, I was focusing more on my own improvements because I picked something that I was passionate about, and I would work hard at it. That started paying off in different avenues within my lifestyle.”
“The last four years, I’ve had the good fortune to travel the world, compete professionally, and I’ve made sports my livelihood, and that experience has been completely fulfilling and it has completely changed my perspective on a lot of things. Now, I am motivated to keep building on those experiences, and building out my life,” he added.
Four years ago, Ludwig was named “Indoor U.S. national champion.” “I won that title a couple of weeks before the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he recalled.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Ludwig said, “Refining Professionalism.”
For his fans and supporters, Ludwig said, “Thank you so much. It has been a pleasure and so much fun. One of my most enjoyable things is having the time to stop and take photos and do autographs for the fans at events. This is something I will never tire of because I am so gracious and humbled. I want everybody to know how important that support is to me.”
To learn more about Matt Ludwig, follow him on Instagram.
