Blind pole vaulter Charlotte Brown wins third in state championships

AUSTIN, Texas, May 16 (UPI) -- A legally blind pole vaulter has officially won her first medal.

High school senior Charlotte Brown won the bronze for the class 4A pole vault at the Texas state track and field championships Saturday morning. She reportedly finished the competition by clearing 11 feet 6 inches.

Brown counts her steps in order to compete in the track tournament. She says for an 80 yard sprint, that's 7 left strides. She also incorporates a beeper to tell her when to plant the pole.

"I made it [to state] my sophomore year, jumped 10 feet, 6 inches and finished eighth. Then junior year, I went 11 feet and tied for fourth," she told ESPN before the meet. "This is the third time I've been there, so it's time to win it all."

Brown's private pole vaulting coach said that in practice, the 17-year-old athlete consistently jumps 12 feet.

"She doesn't see limitations," he said. "She has no limitations."

Brown began losing her eyesight due to cataracts as an infant. After years of slowly losing her vision, the teenager is now legally blind.