EJ Obiena competes despite heavy fog: ‘Leap of faith!’

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EJ Obiena competes despite heavy fog: ‘Leap of faith!’

Drew Acierto,

Push Team

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Filipino Olympian EJ Obiena recalled his experience competing at the Taiwan International Pole Vault Championship last March where the weather condition wasn’t ideal for pole vaulting due to the heavy fog. He took to his Instagram account to share how he had to trust himself despite the challenge of finding the pit.


EJ was hailed as the champion of the tournament after making the 5.50m jump.

The Filipino pole vaulter shared how this was a totally new experience for him–– playing with poor visibility in a sport that relies heavily on hitting the pit accurately. 

“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,” he shared.

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Taiwan had a fog warning while the competition was ongoing and the organizers pushed through despite the visual difficulty for the athletes. EJ showed a glimpse of what it was like to run in the heavy fog to the surprise of his fans in the comment section.

“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. Talk about the proverbial 'Leap of faith,'” he added.

Despite the leap of faith he had to make, the Paris 2024 athlete expressed his gratitude in winning the competition given the weather conditions he played in.

“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,” he said.

EJ has been preparing for the outdoor season of pole vaulting as he revealed that it was too late for him to participate in the 2025 World Indoor Championships. He has been plagued with injuries right after his Paris 2024 stint and has been recovering well.

“The indoor season is always a backseat to the outdoor season. I will hence prioritize and prepare for the upcoming outdoor competition. This is when I would represent the country in the World Championships, Asian Championships and SEA Games. The key is to go into the outdoor season healthy and ready to compete at the highest level. It is also important to defend what I have already achieved in these championships,” he previously shared.

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