Chad Stoermer, championship pole-vaulter, visited the kids at Baslz Elementary in Phoenix last week where he discussed the importance of proper nutrition, exercise, and the importance of developing reading skills during his recent visit.

Why do you volunteer?

In the movie Spider-Man, Uncle Ben’s advice to Spider-Man, “With great power comes great responsibility.” I believe the purpose of obtaining knowledge is to share it.

What was your favorite part of the day?

My favorite part of the day was the final race – me vs the motivated girls in the group. The intensity in the air was thick. There were 3 false starts. I had a nice easy push out the back of my race and was certain I was the first to reach the half way point until miraculously I had 4 competitors chipping away 3 lengths ahead of me. I’ve never seen such tiny limbs move so fast. The race was nearly over so I did what any champion would do – I dove across the finish line. I won the race by popular vote because I was the crowd favorite, but I’m still not convinced who took the race.

The experience was incredible! It was quite a treat for me to share my knowledge with the kids at Baslz Elementary.