Charlotte Brown has been chasing a medal by trying to jump over a bar she couldn’t see. Charlotte is blind. Yet that has not stopped her from being one of the best in her sport. That sport is pole vaulting. That’s right, a blind person pole vaulting. This weekend Charlotte competed in the Texas High School State Championships, finishing third. She cleared 11’6″.

Charlotte took up pole vaulting in seventh grade because she wanted something a little ”dangerous and exciting.” She competes with a combination of fearless abandon and meticulous attention to detail. She counts the seven steps of her left foot on her approach, listening for the sound of a faint beeper placed on the mat that tells her when to plant to pole and push up.

Charlotte is truly an inspiration and a great example of overcoming.