Brian Sternberg (June 21, 1943 – May 23, 2013)
was a world record holder in the men's
pole vault
Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...
who was paralyzed from the neck down after a trampoline accident in 1963.
Sternberg set one of his world records on May 25, 1963, in
Modesto
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
jumping using new technology for the sport, a fiberglass pole.
[ @ 1:44.] His final record of was set on June 7, 1963.
[
]
After graduation from
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
's Shoreline High School in 1961, Sternberg enrolled at the University of Washington and won the 1963 NCAA pole vault title and also shattered the world record in the event twice.
[
Five weeks after his Modesto jump, Sternberg was training in Hec Edmundson Pavilion in preparation for a trip to Russia. While performing a double somersault with a half twist, he landed awkwardly on his neck in the middle of the trampoline where a spotter could not help. Sternberg had performed the gymnastic move, called a fliffus, hundreds of times. The injury left him a ]quadriplegic
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or ...
, and his doctors were concerned for his survival days after his accident.
In 1996, Sternberg underwent surgery, performed by Dr. Harry Goldsmith in Germany, to improve the quality of his life. The operation on his spinal cord allowed Sternberg to breathe deeper and easier, to speak more clearly and with greater volume. Sternberg was also able to remain upright for longer periods which improved his feeling of well-being.
Sternberg's unusually long life as a quadriplegic was credited, in part, to his athletic training and to a positive attitude.
"Brian was given a very poor prognosis," said his mother, Helen, in 2003. "They said with his condition, he probably would have five years to live. But he's a fighter."[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sternberg, Brian
1943 births
2013 deaths
American male pole vaulters
World record setters in athletics (track and field)
People with tetraplegia