A health nightmare at the Rio Olympics has left Jenn Suhr with a still-lingering cough but also a lasting impression with regard to her career.
Illness deprived the 34-year-old Riga resident and Fredonia native of a chance to repeat as gold medalist in the women’s pole vault last month. And while she’s not ready for retirement, she vows that as she trains for the 2017 World Championships — with the 2020 Summer Games as the long-range goal — there will be a distinct separation between life on the pole vault runway and life in general.
“I’ll compete,” Suhr said, “but it has to be fun now. I don’t have to win every meet. I don’t have to set a personal best every time.
“I’ll do pole vault when it’s pole vault time and then live life.”
Suhr says she’ll continue to live that life in Western New York, too. Especially after the outpouring of support following her heartache in Rio de Janeiro.
