ROSLINDA Samsu could well have been running rather than vaulting but she has no regrets after first picking up a pole 10 years ago.

The 26-year-old from Kuala Nerang, Kedah also had to overcome family resistance to making pole vaulting her career.

But after her athletics career took off — literally and figuratively — her family, especially her mother, finally came around to accepting her talent in the sport could take her far.

“I used to get scolded for being away from home competing in tournaments too often. But once I was able to prove that I had the talent and determination to succeed in this sport, my mother came to understand my passion and I now have her full support,” said Roslinda, who will be making her Olympic debut in Beijing.

Roslinda also owes a great debt of gratitude to her secondary school teacher Mansahar Abdul Jalil, who convinced her to give up sprinting and focus on the pole vault.

“I was a sprinter at first but then I was persuaded to give pole vault a try when I was in Form Four at SMK Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (in Kajang).

It was tough at first, but my teacher convinced me to stick with it because I had the speed and strength and I’m glad that I did,” said Roslinda, who holds the national record of 4.40m she set two years ago in Spain.

Roslinda knew then that she could go far in the sport and set about to realise her Olympic dream.

“I did not want to be in this sport just to be fooling around.

I set a goal from the start of making it to the Olympics and I am excited to have finally made it,” said Roslinda, who also made her World Championship debut in Osaka last year.

Roslinda however realises the enormity of the task that faces her in Beijing but she still hopes to soar higher than she ever has.

“All the top pole vaulters in the world will be there and it would be a tremendous achievement to make the final 12. But for that to happen, I will have to vault higher than 4.50m, which I’ve yet to manage.” Her form this year though does not offer much encouragement although she hopes the current one-month competitive stint in Spain will provide the momentum to carry her through Beijing.

“A pole vaulter needs to be in constant flow to have the competitive feel. There were a lot of interruption to my schedule earlier this year but if I can do well in Spain I’d have the right momentum,” said Roslinda.

The interruption she was referring to includes the failure of her poles to arrive at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain in March and the chaotic nature of the Taiwan Open which put her off from vaulting.

Last year, she won gold at the Asian Track and Field Championships in Amman, Jordan before successfully defending her Sea Games gold in Korat, Thailand.

But Roslinda knows she can offer no excuses in Beijing in what could well be a chance of a lifetime to perform on the sporting world’s greatest stage.

“Every time I compete I have the intention of improving on my personal best. I will have to be fully focused and try my very best.”