Isabella Ironhill '15 Recruiting Profile

Hello! My name is Isabella Shea Ironhill but you can call me Izzy. I am a Junior at Simi Valley High School in Simi Valley California. I Pole Vault for our track and field team. I am also involved in HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America). I want to study sports medicine in collage. Hopefully becoming a chiropractor, physical therapist, or anything in between. I plan to Vault in collage and continue my education. I always try to push myself and improve my marks. I also motivate my team mates to do their best because I know they can. I had a rough start and have come along way. When I was in seventh grade I was diagnosed with Temporary Juvenile Rheumatoid Athritis (TJRA). It made me weak, lethargic, un able to walk, and depressed. I was unable to go to school because I could barley walk. I had to be home schooled for the last few months of my seventh grade year. The Rheumatologist treated me and I got better but I had a lot of muscles to rebuild. I wasn't able to go back to gymnastics because of it but I still wanted to be in a sport. My friend had just joined a track club called Running Rebbles in eighth grade and encouraged me to join as well. I did and slowly my muscles started to rebuild. Every practice we had was at a high school. While we were practicing I noticed the schools pole vaulters also practicing. I was amazed by it and wondered why we didn't have it in the club. They told me it was only available in high school. So I waited. As soon as I got into high school one of my team mates from Running Rebbles told me that their track team has a fall/winter class to prepare us for the spring season. I immediately joined and started to work out with them. One day my head coach Steve Ringgold announced "Ok, You have to be completely wako to do this but we are having our first pole vault practice this Saturday and any crazy person that would like to try should show up." I remembered watching the pole vaulters when I was in the club and decided to go. I was the only new freshman girl that showed up to the practice. After that day I fell in love. I have come a long way from not being able to walk, to the heights that I am at right now. Sometimes I think its a miracle that I can do this but I was determined to show that TJRA had not slowed me down and I was capable of doing anything.