From Injury to Olympian

Anicka Newell Feature Story Anicka Newell's journey from a childhood gymnastics injury to becoming a three time Olympian

“To me, the Olympics is the pinnacle of sport. I feel every athlete no matter the sport wants to be there and obviously I wanted to go, but I didn’t know pole vaulting was going to be the way I got there.”

Anicka Newell, a dual citizen of both the United States and Canada, spent her childhood growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico with the dream of becoming an Olympic level gymnast.

A young Anicka Newell competing in gymnastics Newell had competed in gymnastics since she was just two years old and has always been athletically gifted. However, a back injury when she was 14…