Sensational Athlete and Internet Sensation: Alison Stokke And Her Unexpected Career Change… |

A Track and Field Warrior

Allison Stokke was one of the hundreds of students competing in track and field events in 2007. She was one of the many trying to make a name for themselves. Pole vaulting was her sport of choice, and in high school, she broke countless school records. It wouldn’t be this that got the attention of the world, however. When a photographer captured a near-perfect image of her, her life would change forever, and suddenly she found herself a sensation across the country.

A Track And Field Warrior

Allison’s Story

Born on the 22nd of March 1989, Allison Stokke grew up in California with her parents and her brother. It’s quite safe to say that she was surrounded by sports throughout her youth, especially considering that her brother was a national-level gymnast. It would be his success that would compel her to think about entering the world of gymnastics in the first place, but after a couple of months, she realized that she was going to need to look elsewhere if she was to find something that would be better suited to her abilities.

Allisons Story

Finding The Right Sport For Her

As most of us will know, finding our passions takes a fair amount of trying different things. For Allison, the search was a lot simpler, and after just one try of pole vaulting, she was hooked to the sport. You might even go as far as to say that she “picked up the pole and ran with it”. Right from the start, she believed that she could be a terrific pole vaulter, and in no time at all, she indeed became one of the youngest and most successful vaulters in the country. At 15, she cleared 12.5 feet, which got the attention of talent scouts in a major way.

Finding The Right Sport For Her

Developing Her Skills in Freshman Year

Allison knew that to maintain a high level she was going to need to push herself to train hard and get better at her craft. In her freshman year, she took things to a whole new level, which paid off in a major way when she started breaking her own records. She continued to raise the bar over time, eventually clearing 12 feet and 8 inches, followed by 13 feet, making an even better record than her U.S title-winning jump from when she was only fifteen.

Developing Her Skills In Freshman Year

The Sizzling Senior Vaulter

As soon as she entered senior year, the pole vaulting sensation had a lot to juggle. From studies to family time and retaining a rigorous training schedule, she was quick to learn about the power of multitasking and prioritizing. Nothing was to slow her down, however, and as indicated by how quickly she was working through the leagues and collecting medals, it was clear that she would soon be in the running for national titles. She topped her pole vaulting record once again that year, clearing a staggering 13 feet and 6 inches.

The Sizzling Senior Vaulter

The Million Dollar Picture

A picture of Allison, that would go on to become seriously famous, was taken at an event in 2007, while she was waiting on the runway for her turn. Reposted by then-popular and somewhat chauvinistic blog With Leather, it wasn’t long before she acquired a serious male following. While the website wasn’t well known for its tasteful selection of images, it certainly got the internet buzzing and not long after, Allison became well known in numerous circles outside of her sport. Once you’re viral on the internet, there’s not much you can do about the attention that follows.

The Million Dollar Picture

Allison The Internet Star

To make matters worse, the blog had used a demeaning caption with their photograph, which didn’t exactly speak to her skills as a pole vaulter. With Allison only 17 at the time, commenters were quick to suggest the inappropriate nature of some of the comments on the image. While Allison couldn’t have known this at the time, the picture would end up having an impact on her life too. The photographer saw the traction it was getting, and tried suing the website to take it down. However, as the internet had already “claimed” it, it was far too late for any real possibility that it would be deleted forever.

Allison The Internet Star

Fan Clubs Start To Emerge

As hard as it may be to believe at first, the picture had such an impact that fan clubs and websites started popping up all over the internet from the single shot. This led to fans tracking down more pictures of the athlete, which would eventually be seen by millions of people around the world. A lot of men referred to Allison as their “internet crush”, and in the way that happens to many professional women, she felt she was beginning to be seen only as a sex symbol and not for the incredible athlete she was.

Fan Clubs Start To Emerge

Allison Gets International Attention

Before long, the power of the internet and social media would be in full force. In next to no time, Allison’s name started popping up on international publications, which created an international fanbase for her. Blogs and websites continued to share her pictures, and eventually, even the New York Times and Washington Post shared stories about her. The coverage spanned as wide as the UK and Germany too. An Australian talk show wanted to get her on the show as a guest!

Allison Gets International Attention

Trying To Regain Control

The sudden attention and interest left Allison somewhat disturbed, especially as it was all about her looks, and not her talents. She could hardly believe that all the years of hard work were being overshadowed by drooling men staring at her body, thinking that could forever be the primary reference that people have of her. Worse yet, this happened without her permission! Realizing that it was impossible to stop the spread of images on the internet at this point, she decided to hire a manager, in an attempt to take back control and pursue opportunities that had been vetted by her “team” first.

Trying To Regain Control

The Interview To Change It All

In an attempt to take control of the situation, she decided to agree to an interview with a large media outlet, in order to bring back the connection with her name and the sport she loved and was dedicated to and not just her looks. The discussion only served to give her more attention, stoking the fire and growing her fan pages even more. She tried to discuss pole vaulting and addressed how she wanted to encourage other young women looking to break into the field. Unfortunately, commenters on social media were mostly bringing up her beauty and her physique.

The Interview To Change It All

Dad To The Rescue?

Dad To The Rescue

As a practicing lawyer, Allison’s father was quick to come to the defense of his daughter, marking specific comments on Youtube as threatening and starting a list for people he considered may be harmful to his daughter to interact with during her career. He did due diligence, checking to see if any of the comments were illegal. As it turns out, thinking only about the short-term would not actually help with the long-term problems, and as the machine kept churning, Allison found herself right in the middle of common judgments that a lot of naturally attractive and/or successful people face online.

CBS Comes To Allison’s Defense

CBS Comes To Allisons Defense

While Allison was dealing with the media storm, CBS decided to take another angle on all the attention she was getting. They looked to promote the dangers of viral images, issuing a warning to other younger women. At that time social media was only just starting to take off, so people were not as used to its pitfalls as they are today. The broadcast was well received by viewers and was one of the first instances of social media being highlighted as an avenue for trouble.

A Shadow Over Her Hard Work

Athletes can face a lot of scrutiny and criticism, especially young women exposed to the media’s attention and in matters involving their bodies – their main tool in their professions. Many people are jealous of their skills, while also often unfamiliar with the sacrifice, dedication and discipline it takes to be one of the best in the world at something. As Allison learned quickly, the result of the all attention the photo received was not all positive. In next to no time, people were more interested in what she was eating and wearing, rather than focusing on the records she was breaking regularly from all her hard work. This whole unfortunate situation was something that sparked much debate about the sexualization of young female athletes, and young women in general, on the internet.

Out of the Limelight at University

Out Of The Limelight At University

Unwanted attention aside, Allison was keen to get out of the limelight a little by attending university. She was on a full scholarship, and she could keep a low profile at UC Berkeley, especially as it allowed her to stay close to her circle of friends and family in the process. Some might suggest that she completely fell off the map during this time, avoiding social media posting and doing whatever she can to focus on her training and her studies. To some fans, she was out of sight, out of mind for a few years, but never quite forgotten.

Continuing To Excel At Pole Vaulting

Although she did what she could to stay off the radar of the media, Allison did everything she could to be sure she was working hard at school, as well as in her pole vaulting training. With a lot of dedication and energy, she was able to excel at both, competing at many competitions and setting new records, all the while also completing a master’s degree in sociology as well. Regardless of what she decided she wanted to pursue after college, it was clear that she had a bright future ahead of her.

An Olympic Hopeful in the Making?

An Olympic Hopeful In The Making

Sharpening her pole vaulting skills while at university, the 2012 London Olympics were fast approaching. For any track and field athlete, this is the golden ticket they work all their lives for. She trained even harder than usual and prepared to try out for the qualifications. Unfortunately, this was not meant to be her time. She narrowly missed the mark to compete on the American team. While she had cleared 14 feet previously, this was not the case during the tryouts. But it wasn’t long before other opportunities would be presenting themselves.

A New Career Direction Awaits

Some years later, and realizing that her peak athletic time was slowly coming to an end, Allison decided to take the career path offered to her as a sports model. This wasn’t altogether unfamiliar to her, and she was used to the attention already. At long last, she responded to the many requests she had received to take part in shoots for various brands. As fate would have it, she ended up in Nike’s spring and summer collections that year, taking the industry by storm as many predicted she would years earlier.

A Match Made in Heaven

A Match Made In Heaven

By 2016, Allison was not averse to making a fuss on the internet, especially so when she announced that she and professional golfer Rickie Fowler were more than friends on her social media accounts. The pair were first spotted by photographers at a Motocross Grand Prix. Soon enough, there were more pictures of them out and about sprawled over blogs and on socials. When they first posted about each other, fans realized that they were serious about each other, making things official in the modern way we’ve grown accustomed to in the 21st century.

Starting To Get Serious

It wasn’t long before the PGA champion and the now-famous athlete and model were getting more serious about the relationship, and fans speculated that they might be close to getting engaged. As it turns out, the pair also bonded over the unwanted attention they each received through a viral photo – a shared experience that may have helped solidify their love for each other. After months of speculation, one of Rickie’s colleagues spilled the beans on their relationship and the rest, as they say, is history.

Engagement Follows Suit

On June 8th of 2018, the pair announced that they were engaged, after about a year’s worth of dating. Allison posted an image on her Instagram post showing Ricky down on one knee, asking her to be his wife. She referred to him as her best friend, an ode to the fact that the very day of the proposal was “National Best Friend” day sound the world. Fans were thrilled to see both happy and preparing to spend the rest of their lives together. On October 5th of 2019, they married in a private ceremony.

Allison The Avid Golfer

As she is a naturally talented athlete, it should come as no surprise that Allison was quick to pick up a golf club and to try out a new hobby alongside her soon-to-be hubby. Many golf pro wives have the same passion for the sport, and she saw it as a great way to connect with her partner while he competed throughout the year. Next thing you know, Allison will be joining the LPGA, and making the same splash for herself as she did when she was still an active pole vaulter!

Going Above and Beyond For Love

Going Above And Beyond For Love

While playing in the Augusta Masters in 2018, Ricky unexpectedly needed a spare set of hands to help out with caddying duties at the last minute. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Allison was happy to don the uniform and help out her man with a big smile in tow. A couple with this kind of attitude is surely building a solid foundation for future married life. Better yet, by being playful like this, they show that they’ve both retained a nature of being down to earth, which is always good to see from public personalities.

Making The Move To Florida

Born and raised in California, Allison was keen to explore other parts of the country as she started to plan where to settle down with her soon to be husband. Ricky also grew up in the same region, so when the idea came up for them to reside in Florida, they were both quick to jump at the chance to make it on their own. The pair now lives very near the beach, enjoying the climate and the great outdoors at every moment they get between their respective work commitments.

The Couple That Trains Together

There can be no doubt that the athletic abilities of both Ricky and Allison play a big role in their shared passion, drive and discipline to exceed at what they do. The couple often enjoys working out together, pushing the other to get the most out of their workouts and simultaneously getting some quality time in together. This can be useful on days when motivation and morale are a little low, and as they can both perk each other up respectively, they make a mean match.

A Recognised Voice For Women’s Sport

A Recognised Voice For Womens Sport

Although her days of serious pole vault training may be over, Allison still does what she can to be a voice for women’s sports. She knows all too well how much of a struggle it can be to be a young athlete, especially as a female, and as research suggests, there is a lot that can be done to help up-and-coming athletes to realise their potential through a gentle mix of being pushed and supported. A recent Instagram post references that girls are twice as likely to drop out of sports when they turn 14 than boys are. She mentioned that she wants to inspire young girls to redefine what it means to persevere, be powerful, and to excel in the field they are passionate about.

Using Her Social Profiles For Good

Now that social media has a foothold in society, a lot of people are turning to platforms like Piterest and Instagram to get their fitness inspiration. These days, the #fitspo tag has over 60 million photos on Instagram. While the hype is real, Allison doesn’t like to play into that. Rather than flaunting herself during her gym workouts, she opts for photos that inspire people to lead more active lives for the benefit of their overall health. Her social media power, which once was the source of great frustration for her, has now turned to a platform she predominantly used for good.

You Are The Company You Keep

You are an average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with. If this is the case, Allison has certainly surrounded herself with the right people. Hubby Ricky aside, she is often seen spending time with athletic friends who also have a zest for life. One of her more notable friends, Shaylah Simpson, is a professional pole vaulter, and the pair regularly push each other to be their best through strenuous workouts, but also during the course of their daily activities as well.

29 Years Young

In the space of a short time, Allison Stokke has proved that she has an energy and enthusiasm for the world that can only be found in some of the best athletes out there in the world. At just 29 years old, she has accomplished a lot and continues to raise the bar in her efforts to empower and encourage other women to lead a more active lifestyle and to be the best variant of themselves that they can possibly be. Her future looks bright in spite of the challenges she has faced in the past, and family and friends are proud to be associated with such a bright, strong, independent woman.

Reaching For The Stars

While the road is wide open for Allison as she enters her thirties, she has set herself up for success and paved a path for herself through hard work, commitment and discipline. As a model, athlete and influencer, she is bound to be making many more splashes in the years ahead, all the while enjoying a more settled life as a wife, and perhaps even a mother. Her journey from that infamous picture that was taken of her and immortalised online, to now, where she does the things on her terms, is inspirational and continues to show others that resilience in the face of misfortune is the best way to tackle whatever life may surrender at you.