Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

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Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby VTechVaulter » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:18 am

Micheal Seaman landed in the box on saturday at University of Kentucky. He was taken o the hospital on stretcher. From what I understand there are no head injuries, but he has a couple broken vertebrae. I'm not 100 percent sure of all the details but I wanted to put my best wishes out there for him and his recovery!
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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby vaultmd » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:51 pm

Get well soon, Michael.

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby tennpolevault » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:49 pm

Thanks guys for the comments. Michael did sustain a signifcant injury to his back and ankle. It was a very scary moment for all of us. He is truly a great kid and has worked as hard as anyone I've had over the offseason to make strides toward a great season. He PR'd last weekend at Virginia Tech and was hoping to vault over 5.20 in the next few weeks. Hopefully, he can make a full recovery with time. He is very dissapointed and could use the support of other vaulters to get him through this tough time. I know he dreams of vaulting again. Our experience at Kentucky was very disappointing both from an injury standpoint and from an emergency response standpoint. This should be a warning for all those out there organizing pole vault events. Michael laid on the pit for 20 minutes before a spineboard or EMT arrived. The meet staff at Kentucky was utterly confused and no one really took charge of the situation. Our team trainer, his father and I stabilized him on the pit in an awkward position for at least 20 minutes. Had the sitution been even more life-threatening such as a head or brain injury, I hate to think was the loss of those 20 minutes might have meant. We received no logistical assistance or concerned phonecalls from the local organizing committee/sports medicine staff. It was a serious reminder as to how quickly things can get deadly serious in the pole vault. All facilities should have an action plan in place and practice ahead of time with the proper authorities. I would hope that Kentucky remedies the situation before they host anymore track meets.

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby birdi_gurlie » Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:13 pm

Get well soon!
I'll be sure to pray for him.
"That's how God's Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset" Psalm 19:6

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby Ethan » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:42 am

Our prayers and thoughts are with you buddy.
Get better soon so you can show Paul whats up.

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby polevaulter08nw » Wed Jan 21, 2009 12:17 am

Hang in there Mike! Get well!
Age:22
PR: 5.40
Indiana University '13
University of North Carolina '12

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby VaultNinja » Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:48 pm

Be patient my friend, you'll be back. Your poles and new heights will wait for you. They'll be ready when you are.
Your vault family is always here too support you. Let us know what you need.

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If someone tries to step on your dreams.... Step on their face.

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby KYSEAMAN » Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:22 pm

Thanks everybody, the support is great. Much love. Sooner or later I will recover and be back on the runway, so I am not too depressed. However, realizing that it is going to take a long time to recover is a pretty hard pill to swallow. It's worse than landing on metal flat on your back from 16'-17'!

Keep calling and sending messages though... it has been nice to talk to track friends. I will be watching much film though, since that's about all I can do at the moment, so if anyone has anything sitting around... holler at me.
-Michael Seaman
Follow me on Twitter @PVSeaman
www.takogrip.com - The ONLY pole vault grip tape.
Knoxville, TN

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby ~jj~ » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:30 pm

Mike,
We hope you will make a speedy recovery.
Jan Johnson
National Safety Chair :rose:

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby 1yeldud1 » Wed Jan 21, 2009 11:36 pm

The "Missouri Travelers" thoughts are with you - hope to see you back on the "mondo" soon !!! :yes:

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby rainbowgirl28 » Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:25 am

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2009/apr ... air-again/

Seaman's status up in the air again
UT pole vaulter broke two thoracic vertebrae

By Mike Strange (Contact)
Originally published 10:45 p.m., April 10, 2009
Updated 10:45 p.m., April 10, 2009
UT pole vaulter Michael Seaman warms-up for competition in the pole vault event during the Sea Ray Relays on Friday. Spooner broke his back and needed surgery after missing the pit on a jump last year.

Amy Smotherman Burgess

UT pole vaulter Michael Seaman warms-up for competition in the pole vault event during the Sea Ray Relays on Friday. Spooner broke his back and needed surgery after missing the pit on a jump last year.

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If you always suspected pole-vaulters were a little crazy, meet Michael Seaman.

Today at Tom Black Track he'll be launching himself into the air at the Sea Ray Relays as if he didn't have a care in the world.

But less than three months ago, the Tennessee freshman was carried from the pole-vault pit at the University of Kentucky strapped to a body board, loaded into an ambulance and ultimately told he had broken two thoracic vertebrae.

"He had a real bad injury,'' UT men's coach Bill Webb said Friday. "It was very scary.

"Frankly, I am surprised he's out here vaulting again.''

Seaman's injury occurred at an indoor meet on Jan. 17 when he misjudged his take-off and landed short of the padding.

He came down in a sitting position on the back of the steel box where the pole is planted.

"I was 17 feet in the air,'' Seaman said, "then when I hit I felt a big pop and couldn't move for a few seconds.

"For a second there I thought I was paralyzed.''

He also had badly sprained his left ankle, but didn't know it immediately because the pain in his back was overwhelming.

His parents, Chris and Daphne, had driven up from Bardstown, Ky., and witnessed the crash.

"I couldn't imagine what that was like for them,'' Seaman said.

"My mom isn't a big fan of the vault. She doesn't like scary stuff.''

The worst moment for Seaman was yet to come. That was at the emergency room when the doctor told him he had broken the T11 and T12 vertebrae.

Two months in a wheelchair and then a walking boot, the doctor said. Seaman's season flashed before his eyes.

"That's when it hit me,'' he said.

Having redshirted in 2008, Seaman didn't relish the thought of not competing for a second year.

But his career never flashed before his eyes. A little thing like a broken back wasn't going to stop him from doing what he loved.

"Not vaulting again never crossed my mind,'' he said. "It might have crossed my parents' minds.''

Seaman came back to campus in a wheelchair and ankle boot. Trainer Adrian Dunn put in extra hours on rehab. Fellow vaulter Joe Berry provided taxi service.

"Joe would get out of his class and literally run to where I was and roll me to my class and then run to his next class,'' said Seaman. "The hills on campus aren't the most handicap-accessible.''

It quickly became apparent the problem wasn't speeding up Seaman's recovery. It was slowing him down.

"We've been trying to keep him calm,'' Webb said. "We had a six-step plan on what he was going to have to do to get back. He wanted to be on step five on day one.''

About six weeks after the fall, Seaman was working out again. One afternoon he was supposed to run down the runway and drop the pole at the pit.

"I went ahead and jumped,'' he said. "I don't know if that was the smartest thing.''

When the Vols went to the Florida Relays last week, Seaman competed, clearing 16 feet, 3 inches, only two inches off his personal best.

"People were amazed when they saw him jumping in Florida,'' Webb said.

"It's all his choice. Some people lose their nerve. He had a bad, bad fall. But he's a tough guy and he's got a big heart.''

And a back with a couple of cracks in it.

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Re: Best wishes and speedy recovery to Micheal Seaman (KYSeaman)

Unread postby dj » Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:43 am

good morning..

glad your back on the up.. awesome.. that is A$$ kicking.. :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes:

haven't seen the sea ray result .. hope all went well

not to bring up bad memories.. but as a learning process for us all.. What seemed to have gone wrong on that vault?

just before the meet i got a message on my cell phone that i think indicated you may have been moving to "longer" poles.. unfortunately i didn't get to respond...

What was your run like... were was the "MID" etc...

hopefully your ok with me asking...

and again awesome recovery.. and i will send the best "vibes' possible from the other (this) side of the world...

dj


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