As the #girldad of a high school high jump athlete, I’m extremely familiar with the women of the sport. Australian, Puma sponsored athlete Nicola Olyslagers is one of our favorites. When she’s in an event she radiates a light that is part spiritual and all humble.
High Jump is a technical sport requiring considerable focus and skill. Unlike sprinting, which is often about power and happens quickly, I’ve labeled High Jump as the sport most likely to transfer to television and streaming opportunities. The sprint is 9 to 50 seconds. Although it is often the highlight of an event, it’s over if you blink. High Jump offers an opportunity for storytelling and familiarity with the athlete. The event can take over an hour to complete.
Olyslagers operates as a medium for her spirituality. Before her jump she writes in a notebook, lifts her arms to the sky in praise and her smile is contagious. Her victory arrived over another Puma sponsored athlete in Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine.
Puma is sitting on a bevy of content for the marketing team if they are paying attention to the events. The above video shows Nicola’s win, but below in this video showing the post event commentary, Olyslagers makes a statement for sport which could embolden any girl or woman (or man) who has been afraid to chase a dream or goal.
The comment derives from scripture which is a difficult thing to navigate for a brand but could be repurposed to attach to competition. The quote “Perfect love casts out fear,” is something I’ll use when speaking to my daughter about the sport. High Jump requires an impulsiveness and trust in the training. When an athlete has done the work the results will arrive. Kudos to Nicola for landing the perfect jump at the right time.
