Brian Sternberg
A pole vault prodigy whose world records were eclipsed by a tragic accident, leading to a decades-long life of profound physical limitation and quiet resilience.
1943–2013 (age 70)·American pole vaulter·Birthday: June 21·The Silent Generation
Biography
In the spring of 1963, Brian Sternberg was at the absolute peak of his world. A sophomore at the University of Washington, he was the world's best pole vaulter, having just shattered the world record twice in three weeks, clearing 16 feet 8 inches. He was a favorite for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, a charismatic athlete with a physics-defying technique. Then, during a routine trampoline workout, a missed landing broke his neck. In an instant, he was paralyzed from the shoulders down, dependent on a ventilator to breathe. The track and field world mourned a lost champion, but Sternberg's second act was just beginning. Confined to a wheelchair and later a special bed, he earned a degree in communications, became a motivational speaker, and wrote poetry. For 50 years, he lived with what he called 'the ultimate challenge,' his sharp mind trapped in an unresponsive body. His story became one not of athletic glory, but of enduring human spirit, a daily demonstration of courage that far surpassed his feats on the runway.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Brian was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 60
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 70
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Set two consecutive world records in the pole vault in June 1963, clearing 16' 7 3/4" and then 16' 8".
- Won the NCAA pole vault championship in 1963 while competing for the University of Washington.
- Was ranked number one in the world in the pole vault in 1963 prior to his accident.
Did You Know?
He was known for using a fiberglass pole, then a new technology, which he helped pioneer in the sport.
His accident occurred just days after his second world record and was front-page news across the United States.
He communicated for decades using a 'sip-and-puff' system, controlling a computer and wheelchair with his breath.
“The bar was set, and then the ground gave way.”
