‘I became bulletproof’: How a change of approach led Alysha Newman to historic Olympic pole vault bronze [Video]

A month before winning an Olympic bronze medal in Paris last summer, Canadian pole vaulter Alysha Newman strained her deltoid, the muscle forming the rounded contour of the shoulder. Then, the basement in her house flooded and she was sprayed by a skunk in her backyard trying to protect her dog.

Newman had only returned to competition about four weeks earlier following a 12-week absence after tearing four ligaments in her right ankle while cooling down after a training session hours before the start of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Scotland.

“I had a lot of moments where it could have redirected my focus [from the Olympics],” said Newman, who sought sports psychology and concentrated on how her mind connected to her body.

She worked closely with a doctor who trained the native of Delaware, Ont. (near London) to fend off negativity.

“It was like I had armour on …