Leap of Faith: Obiena Conquers Harsh Weather to Cop Gold Medal

ERNEST JOHN (EJ) Obiena overcame the odds once more, winning another gold medal at the Taiwan International Pole Vault Championships despite the terrible weather in Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan. 

Obiena grabbed his first gold medal of the outdoor season, ensuring that his much-anticipated season began on a positive note, despite the additional obstacle posed by the country’s foggy circumstances. 

However, as the two-time Olympian described the experience, it was a “leap of faith.” The 29-year-old Filipino pole vaulter flew above the heights, unconcerned about what was ahead.

Obiena passed 5.50 meters, winning the event for the first time under such conditions. Meanwhile, other Filipinos Hokket Delos Santos surpassed 5.15m and Francis Allen Silllar reached 3.91m.

Leap of Faith

Obiena took to social media shortly after the tournament to express how unexpected his experience had been. Not only because of the weather, but also due to his ability to pull it off.

“During several of the many flights I have taken to compete in pole vault around the world, I have indeed encountered fog warnings at the airport where you can see very little. Well I had a new experience today,” he said.

“I had my first fog warning in the midst of a pole vault competition, in Taiwan. With roughly 10 meters visibility, you just disappear. Talk about the proverbial “Leap of faith”!”

“Well I decided to go for it and place my leap of faith in God’s hand. I am thankful to have won the competition under such “murky” conditions,” Obiena went on to say in his social media post.

Fair Share of Rough Days

Meanwhile, he had a terrible day, missing the podium in the 2024 Paris Olympics before suffering a stress fracture that forced him to miss the most of the indoor season and the championships. 

With this type of success under his belt, Obiena learned that it is an individual’s responsibility to weather a storm and play through it, regardless of the obstacles. It doesn’t matter how hard you fall; it’s the recovery that counts.

“We can’t always have sunny skies and perfect weather conditions. We have to persevere through all kinds of adversity. This was a new kind of adversity and I learned from it,” he shared.

Obiena, who is now fit and on a roll, has won three races this year, including the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Poland and the Metz Moselle Athelor in France.