Air Force Olympian raising the bar

  • Published
  • By Carole Chiles Fuller
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --  While many Americans were launching fireworks to celebrate Independence Day, 1st Lt. Cale Simmons was launching himself about 20 feet into the air, ultimately landing on the U.S. Olympic Team.

Simmons, a pole vaulter in the U.S. Air Force World Class Athlete Program, finished second in the U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials, which ran July 1-10 in Eugene, Oregon. Army Reservist 2nd Lt. Sam Kendricks won by vaulting 5.91 meters, or 19 feet, 4 3/4 inches; Simmons placed second when he cleared 5.65 meters, or 18-feet-6 1/2; and Logan Cunningham placed third when he cleared 5.6 meters, or 18-feet-4 1/2, to make the team.
“I am honored and super-excited to represent my country, the Air Force and every Airman in the 2016 Olympics,” Simmons said.
 
Simmons said he appreciates the continued support from the military community. 

“Going to the trials and making the team is one of the most memorable moments of my life. It’s one of those moments I’ll never forget, ever,” said Simmons, who was a contracting officer on Kapaun Air Station, Germany, before joining WCAP to train full time. “Going through that competition and then getting just a ton of outreach and support and ‘good jobs’ and high-fives, it’s just been so fun to go through the whole process, especially with the Air Force having my back.”

After he made the U.S. Olympic team, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein, Air Force Recruiting and the U.S. Air Force sent congratulations via social media. Simmons said he draws motivation and inspiration from such support.

His road to Rio is paved in resiliency. 

“Starting in high school, I wasn’t the best by any means. I was good but I wasn’t great. I had my goals and I had my aspirations. I met some of them and didn’t meet others. It’s really the journey that gets you there, that builds your resiliency,” Simmons said. “To pick yourself up after a bad day and keep trying for a goal you’ve always wanted, like making the team, is something that everyone has to do.

“As it relates to Airmen, there are lots of goals that we have and aspire to achieve. Whether it’s to become a pilot, a chief, a colonel or a general: These goals are part of what we have to do. Pole vaulting is no different. You’re going to have your tough days. But, it’s what you do in the bad times that helps define you and what makes the journey worth it.”

Simmons relies on the support of his U.S. Air Force family; in his case, that means part of his immediate family as his older sister and identical twin brother are officers in the Air Force. His sister, Capt. Rachel Schaefer, is a pilot stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. His identical twin, 1st Lt. Rob Simmons, is a C-17 pilot stationed at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. All three are U.S. Air Force Academy graduates who excelled on the Academy’s pole vault team. 

“My brother and sister understand what makes pole vaulting so difficult, and they definitely know what I’m going through. Friends and family are a huge part of the training. It’s great to have your family there when you’re at an all-time high. But it’s also good for you to have them not let your ego get to you,” Simmons said.

“But more important, it’s the days that everything goes wrong where you really fall back onto your family and friends. They make the difference in allowing you to push forward and to stay in the game and stay strong. Much like the military: You have a support structure that helps you be the best you can be. It’s great that I have the support of Airmen behind me.”

Both his sister and brother plan to be in Rio de Janeiro to support him. Their parents and two younger sisters will be cheering from home in Sacramento, California.

Simmons said his U.S. Air Force training also gives him a competitive advantage. Because pole vaulting is very much a mental event, learning to cope with stress and being able to concentrate is essential to success.

“In basic training, you have everyone yelling at you, and you have to focus on doing one thing and not let it affect you. Pole vaulting is very similar. You have to block out the distractions and do what you know; focus on your training and stay mentally strong,” he said.

Pole vaulters often psyche themselves out at a meet, Simmons said. 

“At the trials, a lot of people were kind of losing their minds and stressing out. The stress got to them. The Air Force builds your character, builds your resiliency and builds your mental strength. Having all this training in the Air Force helped me during the trials,” he said.

Since joining WCAP a year ago, Simmons has been training with Academy jump coach Scott Steffan, who also coached his siblings.

“When I recruited Cale six years ago, he was just a little scrawny kid from California. Over the six years it has been a pleasure to coach him, he has worked hard. He’s a huge thrill-seeker, so pole vault’s worked well for him,” Steffan said. 

The coach said he knew he had an extraordinary athlete on his team.

“From Cale’s freshman and sophomore years, I knew he was going to be something special. I’ve been doing this for 30-plus years, and he’s been the best, most consistent pole vaulter I’ve had. And I know he’ll jump higher down the road, given the opportunity,” he said.

Attitude is Simmons’ strongest attribute in this physically and mentally challenging sport. 

“Cale has the right attitude for a pole vaulter. He just smiles and has fun. I’ve never seen the pressure really get to him, even in the trials, when the bar was at the height we knew would make the team. He just went in there and did it. I think that’s a tribute to his attitude of ‘just let’s go have fun and take care of business, and we’ll be OK’,” Steffan said. 

Steffan said the U.S. pole vault team members are great contenders for an Olympic medal. Simmons is scheduled to compete in the preliminaries on Aug. 13. The finals are on Aug. 15. 

Editor’s note: WCAP athletes train full time in their sport and compete in U.S. Armed Forces events, the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (Military World Games), Olympic Games and qualifying events for those games. For an inside look at the 2016 Summer Games, “like” MyAirForceLife on Facebook, or follow #AFOlympian and #ReadyandResilientAirmen.