The national athlete said that he took a literal “leap of faith” at that time.
In an Instagram post, Pinoy pole vaulter EJ Obiena shared his experience during a recent competition in Taiwan.
He wrote, “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 a few days ago. I had my first fog warning in the midst of a pole vault competition, in Taiwan. Here (3rd slide) is what the approach looked like heading towards the vault. You just disappear,” EJ added.
The two-time Olympic representative also quipped about it being the proverbial “leap of faith.”
Continuing his story, “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!“
In the end, he had a realization and imparted a lesson for his followers.
“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 definitely learned from it!“
EJ’s recent contest in Taiwan was the International Pole Vault Championship, where he was able to clinch the coveted gold medal in spite of the weather conditions.
It also is his third gold in the 2025 season.