Welcome to our Ambassador blog series, where we celebrate the diverse passions and pursuits of ordinary Kiwi's achieving the extraordinary. From athletes to artists and everything in-between, they embody the spirit of New Zealand through their shared love for their respective sports, activities, passions and occupations.
Join us in discovering their inspiring stories.
8. Maya Grundy, Pole Vaulter
Brief outline on who you are, your background, (occupation), where you live etc.
My name is Maya Grundy I am 19 years old from Auckland, New Zealand. I grew up in the suburbs of Point Chevalier until I was 9 and then my family moved to rural West Auckland, where I still live in my family home. There we have a lifestyle block of 10 Acres where I have spent most of my life growing up around animals and sports. I have worked hospitality from the age of 15 and I currently work two jobs; one is working as a nanny for a family a few days a week and the other is working as a waitress and bartender for a wedding venue. I also study full-time in Auckland at the Auckland University of Technology AUT, studying communications, and I am about to complete my first year.
What is your chosen sport/occupation/passion/interest/hobby? What attracted you to this? Why do you love doing it?
I am a Pole Vaulter, and I started Pole Vaulting in the beginning of 2020. Pole Vaulting is a part of track and field or athletics and is the discipline within the sport where you basically run fast with a pole in your hand, put it in the ground and try and get over a bar that is meters in the air. I have played sports all my life, from rugby to swimming to surfing. My main sport for the majority of my life was Netball, where I played at a premier, club and regional level. I played netball for 12 years starting in year 2 of school but stopped playing at the end of 2022. I started Pole Vaulting because I wanted to try an individual sport. Playing mainly team sports all my life I wanted a change of pace and thought about joining athletics and start track running, my mum was a track runner and thought that I would get bored and needed something more challenging so suggested Pole Vaulting and got in contact with the Olympic coach and I had a private session with him which I ended up loving then kept coming back each week. I slowly fell more in love with the sport and the people in it and kept going. I love the thrill it gives me and the adrenaline rush that you get after each jump keeps you wanting to go back and do more. I always wanted to have a superpower of flying as a little kid and this is the closest thing I could get too. My personal best currently is 3.53m, which places me 6th in New Zealand for open senior Women.
What are the pros and cons of what you do? What would you consider your biggest achievement(s) to date? What would be your ultimate goal/dream/ destination/achievement
One of the main Pros and Cons of my sport is how mentally challenging it is. This for me falls under both pro and con as I love a good challenge, I feel like I’m constantly working on both my physical and mental self when doing this sport. However, sometimes it can be ALOT, the most common saying for Pole Vault is that the sport is 80% mental. Which is very true and probably the biggest struggle I face in the sport, I wouldn't call it a con as I believe there are no cons to pole vaulting, just challengers that are harder than others. However, I do often struggle with keeping mental strength constantly and letting go of the fear that you feel when running towards a bar with a pole in your hand and attempting to get over it. Another HUGE pro is that I get to train with my younger sister who pole vaults with me in my squad. I love my Pole Vault family that I have created in both New Zealand and in America. For the past two years I have been blessed enough to spend in total 4 months in Portland, Oregon, Pole Vaulting with a club and being trained by one of the best coaches in the States.
How does X-ZONE help you to achieve your goals?
My ultimate goal/dream would be to make an Olympic games. I believe that every athlete has this dream when they start a sport, I understand it's a big dream but I put in the work day in and day out and I'm willing to see how far I can take this sport and show myself the abilities that I believe I am able to achieve. Another goal would make any world stage, like the commonwealth games or make a world athletics championship.
Maya Grundy Instagram
www.tiktok.com/@maya.grundy?_t=8mz7cK5Y4Po&_r=1