49# Nick Buckfield - Olympic Spirit

Nick was a full-time professional athlete for over 15 years and loved sport even before that. He took up the pole vault at the age of 15 and by 22 he had broken the 14-year British pole vault record. The following year Nick broke the indoor pole vault record that had stood for 17 years.Nick held 14-year records for both indoor and outdoor records at 5.81 metres He was the first British vaulter to jump over 19ft (5.80m) and holds the record for the best British performance at a World Championship (5th place at Athens in 1997).Nick's career has also taken him to three Commonwealth Games, where he achieved 4th place in both 2002 and 2006; three European Championships and five World Championships. Plus, he has been a double Olympian in 1996 and 2004 (he remembers watching Daley Thompson at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and knew then that he wanted to be an Olympian!).After fracturing his pelvis in the 1998 European Championships, Nick was impelled to take up sports massage Therapy and is now a qualified sports massage therapist. He is also a Level 3 athletics coach, and a multi-skills and athletic coach for primary schools. He 'relaxes' by reading..materials on improving knowledge,fishing and just messing around with his children.He Took triathlon up 3 years ago for fun and decided this year to train for an IRONMAN!!!