November 2019

5. Go Ahead & Jump

“I know I’ll be ready for some big jumps in the near future.”—Kate Hall

By Sofia Voltin

Kate Hall is unstoppable. At ten, she enjoyed soccer, basketball, and track—on target for an athletic career—when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. “I was forced to take control of it.” She insisted on giving herself that first insulin shot. Now 22, Hall still leaps over any obstacles in her way. “I broke the [39-year] national high school long-jump record and American Junior record with a jump of 22 feet, five inches. This qualified me for the 2016 Olympic Trials”—where she placed tenth. According to the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations), Hall currently ranks No. 6 in the U.S. outdoor long jump.

She won All-America honors 8 times in high school, along with over 30 state and New England championships. “I home-schooled and planned my days to my benefit. This flexibility was a game-changer in my career because I could train any time. It prepared me for college as well.”

Hall studied exercise science during her one year at Iowa State and then two years at University of Georgia. At the end of her junior year, her gaze turned to the 2019 World Championships and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but her jumps had not improved within the college system. She returned to Maine to train with her high-school coach. “Training is far more individualized with Chris Pribish. In college programs, I didn’t always feel fully recovered between workouts. They emphasized a lot of heavy lifting, which isn’t best for me.”

“With diabetes, people sometimes need more recovery,” Pribish says. “We are flexible and adjust workouts if sugar levels are too high or low. Our scientific approach tends to buck some of the common trends used in schools.”

In February, Hall wrapped up her first season as a professional athlete with a national title. “A lot of my competition is surprised I’m from Maine. It isn’t a typical place for a track athlete to train because of the cold.” At the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships in New York, she won the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 4^1/4 inches and came in second in the 60-meter dash. Her winnings totaled $10,000.

But a crushing summer waited ahead. “I didn’t make the 2019 World Championships.” She placed 10th in the qualifying meet with a best jump of 21 feet, 6 inches—missing the final round by one and a half inches. “I was in the best shape of my life. My approach was a little off, so I didn’t hit the takeoff board. If I had, I’d have easily qualified for the World Championships. My goal for over a year was to make it. It was very hard to come up short. But I learned from this. I wasn’t able to pull it together that day, but my body was in the best condition it’s ever been. I know I’ll be ready for some big jumps in the near future. I’m taking this mindset and preparing for the 2020 Olympic Trials.” She’ll be competing on June 19 and 20, 2020 at the University of Oregon. “I’ve jumped there several times, and I’m excited to go back.”

Hall currently lives in Gray. She works as an assistant coach at St. Joseph’s College and trains with Pribish at Momentum Performance & Wellness Center in South Portland. “She works extremely hard,” Pribish says. “She ignores outside distractions and focuses on achieving her goals. She holds herself to high standards and refuses to fail. Kate will continue to succeed on and off the track. She’ll win more titles and make Olympic and World teams for years to come.”