From the start Amy faced adversity. Her mom had a medical condition that gave her a 3% chance of conceiving a healthy child. However, in July of 1982 Amy was born, at a healthy 6 pounds 0 ounces. Due to her moms small anatomy Amy had limited space in the womb, as a result her feet were turned in and up. Her big toes was touching the inside of her legs and corrective shoes were put on to correct this deformity.

Not long after she was born a large lump on the left side of her neck appeared. Doctors were not sure if was Leukemia or a severe type of infection. At six months old, Amy underwent a surgery to detect and remove the large lump. She had suffered a severe staph infection that resided in her lymph nodes. Doctors removed several infected lymph nodes and Amy began to recover.

However, the corrective shoes and major surgery did not stop Amy from learning to walk at any early age. Her parents recall she was not walking but running as soon as the corrective shoes were removed, which was around 8 months old.

From then on nothing stopped Amy. Most of her childhood was spent upside down. She would walk on her hands more than her feet. At the young age of 5 she started competitive gymnastics and spent most of her life at the gym. She played every sport imaginable. Her dream was always to make the olympics.

Her dreams of making an olympic team were in question when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening bone infection. The infection was in her right leg and the loss of her leg and life were a possibility. She went through several surgeries and was placed on intravenous therapy for 6 months. The medicine cured the infection but did not fix the loss of bone from the infection. Due to the infection Amy lost her ability to grow from the lower portion of her right leg. This would lead to future problems like scoliosis and a large discrepancy in leg length between the two legs. Months later she was back in the operating room. Her doctors did their best to assure both her legs would be around the same length. As a result, Amy had potentially lost 3 inches in her total height.

Considering she was a gymnast this was not a concern and she was beyond thankful to just be alive. However, Amy grew 5 feet 10 inches tall with a 6'4" wing span.

At the age of 16, Amy was a Level 9 gymnast and made the all-state gymnast team. However, gymnastics started to take a toll on her body and Amy started to find Track and Field a bit more interesting. When she saw the boys at her school practicing the pole vault, she knew she had to try it! Flying through the air was not unfamiliar to this daredevil. When she asked if girls did the pole vault, one of the athletes from the boys high school track team replied "no they are not strong enough", this really hit a cord with Amy. From that moment on, it was her mission to prove him wrong.

So she did! In 11th grade she joined the boys track team and tried out for the pole vault. She was the third best vaulter on the team and she only just started. However, again she faced a challenge. The challenge was that they were not going to let her compete for the boys and suggested she could compete for the girls team in other events, other than the pole vault. This is not what Amy wanted. She only wanted to pole vault. She was later convinced to try the hurdles, high jump, relay races and sprints.

At her first meet she ended up breaking the school hurdle record by split leaping like a ballerina over the hurdles by splitting her legs 180 degrees (not the correct hurdle form). She had a lot to learn but her coach knew at that point she was a gifted athlete. She tried the high jump and eventually broke the school record in that event as well. No matter what success she had during the season, all Amy could think about was flying through the air and proving all the boys wrong who believed girls could not partake in the event.

Amy was a trailblazer and paved the way. Being persistent, determined and passionate about her dream, coaches and administration got on board and petitioned the county to approve the male dominant event, for the girls. Due to title ix, the sport was approved and in the spring of 1999 girls in Suffolk County, New York were allowed to compete in the pole vault. Thanks to Amy and her coaches, administration and community, a door was open and wait till you hear what comes next.

In the spring of 1998 Amy started out pole vaulting around 9-10 feet by the end of season Amy won the New York State championships and set a new record of 12 feet 0 inches. Her career as a pole vaulter has just started and she is reaching incredible heights.

In the year 2000, Amy is now a senior and preparing her goals for the season. She was receiving recruiting calls from all over the nation. She was one of the best track athletes in the country. Her world literally was turned upside down. She continued to break records and achieve her goals except one. Her goal all season was too clear a height only the boys were clearing. A height that would qualifier her for the first Olympic trials in the history of the sport. A height that could potentially win her a national title. Amy was set on breaking the 13 foot barrier. She knew if she could jump over 13 feet she would achieve all of her goals. Not only would this benchmark be a significant accomplishment but it would be the perfect way to end her high school career, proving the boys wrong on her team that girls are strong enough.

At the last meet of the season Amy pole vaulted over the 13 foot barrier and qualified for the olympic trials, won nationals but most importantly proved that girls are strong enough. She may have had a bumpy road along her journey however she paved the way for the future of girls in sports.

Amy graduated high school with her head held high, she received a full scholarship to the University of Arizona and this is just the beginning.