Leila Ben-Youssef, who grew up in Sidney, is often asked how she came to compete for the Tunisian team, but it’s actually pretty simple.
Since she was born in the United States to immigrants – her mother was born in France and her father in Tunisia – Ben-Youssef has triple citizenship.
 SUBMITTED Leila Ben-Youssef will compete in the pole vault trials, which begin at 8:10 p.m. Friday. |
The Montanan who competed in the pole vault as an undergraduate at Stanford did just that in June, clearing 14 feet and 1 1/4 inches at a meet in California.
At 26, Ben-Youssef will be the only pole vaulter competing for Tunisia in Beijing’s Olympics, and one of just four track and field athletes representing the country.
Though she grew up in Montana, Ben-Youssef has been to Tunisia, Africa’s northernmost country, about a dozen times.
“My family and I visited every other summer or so,” she said. “My grandmother and cousins are still in Tunisia, and my grandfather was a well-known political leader.
“I feel fortunate to be able to go there,” she added. “It’s a beautiful country rich in history, culture, and traditions.”
Ben-Youssef’s path to becoming a pole vaulter for the Tunisian Olympic team began in Sidney, where her father has been an orthopedic surgeon for more than 25 years.
Ben-Youssef got her first taste of pole vaulting by trying it out a handful of times during junior high track, which she said was one of the benefits of going to a small school.
“You get to try every event out,” she said.
Ben-Youssef began to focus on and excel at the sport at Sidney High School, where she was a three-time Class A state champion before graduating in 2000.
“At the time, women’s pole vaulting had been around for only a few years,” Ben-Youssef said. “I was lucky, because Montana was one of the first states to allow women’s pole vaulting and my high school was very supportive.”
Once she graduated from Sidney High School, Ben-Youssef attended Stanford University, where she majored in human biology, minored in archaeology and competed for the university’s track and field team.
After completing her undergraduate degree, she also earned a master’s degree in medical anthropology from Stanford. Even after she had finished competing for Stanford, Ben-Youssef continued pole vaulting.
Scott Slover, who has been Ben-Youssef’s private coach for nearly three years, said she is well-prepared for the Games. “She is one of the best technical pole vaulters I’ve ever seen,” Slover said.
“Last year she jumped great, and she’s been steadily improving. That’s when we started focusing on the Olympic Games.”
As training for the Games, Ben-Youssef pole vaulted twice a week for four or five hours. To bring variety to her workouts, she also spent additional time throughout the week doing plyometrics, attending gymnastics class, sprinting and doing various other activities.
Ben-Youssef said she feels well-prepared for the Olympics, and part of that may be because she’s performed in international competitions before. Last year, she racked up first-place wins at the Pan-Arab games in Egypt, the Pan-African games in Algeria and the African Championships in Ethiopia.
Beijing’s pole vaulting trials are set for Aug. 16, one week after opening ceremonies. About 24 competitors are expected to participate, and the top 12 will make the finals, set for Aug. 18.
Though she feels well-prepared, Ben-Youssef has her work cut out for her. At 5’ 2”, she’s not nearly as tall as many of the world’s elite pole vaulters, which puts her at a disadvantage. “It’s physically easier to pole vault when you’re taller,” she said. “So I have to be much more precise.”
Ben-Youssef simply hopes to do her best at the Games.
“It would be great to pull out a solid performance,” she said. “If I can make the finals, it would be fantastic.”
She’s looking forward to being in the midst of the world’s best athletes, especially those in the pole vaulting community, which she called a “small and supportive” group of people.
As excited as she is for the Olympics, Ben-Youssef is also looking forward to beginning medical school.
She will attend the University of Washington, which allows her to complete her first year of coursework at MSU through a program in which Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho residents pay in-state tuition and complete their first year in their home state.
“I’m a Montana resident, so the WWAMI program was my first choice,” she said. “I’m thrilled to be coming back.”
WWAMI’s focus on primary care, as well as its solid clinical base and small class sizes, attracted Ben-Youssef to the program. She is also interested in rural and international health issues and said the program was a natural fit for those reasons.
“WWAMI has a rural focus, and having grown up in the eastern part of (Montana), that’s something I’d probably like to go back to,” Ben-Youssef said.
Though pole vaulting been an important part of her life for many years, Ben-Youssef also expects it to take a backseat once school begins.
“Medical school will be my primary focus from now on,” she said.
For now, though, Beijing calls.
Comments