People that inspire me - Jenni Ashcroft

There are 43 weeks left in the year and once a week I will write about someone in my life that is inspiring or motivating to me.  Hopefully others will read it and gain a little bit of inspiration in their life as well.  There is no particular order to these writings, just a bunch of people I am fortunate enough to know.  So without further ado ….

Inspirational person #8 of 50 – Jenni Ashcroft

I worked with Jenni Ashcroft for about 4 months in 2006 when I first moved to Wichita.  That wasn’t nearly long enough.

Jenni is one of those special people who makes anywhere she goes better.  When she was an athlete at the University of Nevada she was not only a conference champion, all-American and Olympic Trials Qualifier but she was also the NCAA Woman of the Year for the entire state of Nevada!

From 2003 to 2006 she helped take Wichita State to the next level in terms of conference championships, NCAA qualifiers and all-Americans in the jumping events.

Then she moved onto the University of Oregon from 2006 to 2012 where she helped the ducks win four NCAA titles while not only coaching the Pole Vault but also assisting with the distance runners.  Ever heard of Jordan Hasay?  Jenni was highly influential in her development as well as several other national champions.  She was a steadying force in the intense and crazy world of big time track at Oregon.

Now at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California, she continues to mentor athletes to the top of the national charts in the field events.

How has she managed to have so much success?  Well in the short time I worked with her it was very obvious.  She is one of the hardest working and caring people you could ever meet.

More about this below but first …

I asked Jenni five questions, here are her responses …

Question 1:  What have you yet to accomplish that you would very much like to happen?

Jenni:  That's a good question and I don't have a profound or specific answer.  I've been fortunate to be involved with some very fun and exciting accomplishments, but ultimately, it's the pursuit, the process, the relationships and the journey that makes an accomplishment special.  My focus and desire is to pursue championships as champions.  Watching a student-athlete grow in their mindset and habits throughout their collegiate athletic experience is ultimately the most rewarding part of my job.

Question 2:  If money was no issue, what would you do for the rest of your life?

Jenni:  I am fortunate to have found a profession that I love and enjoy, so I don't think too much would change.  I'm pretty confident I would remain involved with education and/or coaching.  The only real change I could foresee is living closer to family.  If money was no issue, I’d lobby for them to move here because San Luis Obispo is a pretty spectacular place to live.  

Question 3:  What makes you laugh?

Jenni:  A lot of things make me laugh.  Laughter is a key ingredient to my day.  

I probably laugh the most with my family.  The student-athletes I work with bring laughter to my day.  Children, especially my niece and nephews, make my heart happy and full of laughter.  People being silly and goofy, not taking themselves too seriously is a favorite of mine.  And, if I'm being honest, I laugh when someone biffs it, especially if it’s me. 

Question 4:  What makes your life meaningful?

Jenni:  Faith, family and friends.  All three of those categories are relational.  No question about it, meaningful relationships built on love and trust is what fills my cup.  

I haven't made a lot of money coaching track, but I consider myself richly blessed.  God did not hold back on bringing amazing people into my life.  Whether that's family, friends, teachers, coaches, mentors or athletes I've coached - I have been extremely fortunate.  

Question 5:  Who inspires you and why?

Jenni:  I can't pick just one person.  As I stated above, I have been blessed with some tremendous people in my life.  From family members, to mentors, to student-athletes I've been fortunate to coach -- I don't have to look far for inspiration.  

In addition to people I know, I love hearing stories of someone selflessly serving behind the scenes.  I also enjoy hearing about people overcoming obstacles.  Stories of people facing true hardship and taking it on with a positive attitude and a no excuses mentality are especially inspiring.  

Additional comment by Jenni:  I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to thank Wichita State Track & Field for giving me a model to follow.  Coach Rainbolt is one of my greatest mentors.  The coaching staff is the best you can find and they are coaching for all the right reasons.  And, last but not least, the hard work and trust of the student-athletes was both inspiring and motivating.  The sustained success of Wichita State Track & Field is a testimony to Coach Rainbolt and his staff.  It's encouraging to me to see people get it done, the right way.  To every athlete in that program - know that you are part of an extremely special program.  I don't know if it's possible for you to fully grasp it, but please trust me that you are.  Take full advantage of the opportunity you've been given.  You have much to be grateful for.  Go Shox!

Final thoughts … Why is Jenni Ashcroft inspirational to me?

As you can tell by reading Jenni’s comments, she is very unselfish and all about helping uplift those around her.  This is not a “pitch” or “recruiting talk” in any way.  This is just the way Jenni Ashcroft is as a human being.  She’s one of the nicest and most gracious people you will ever want to meet.  She couldn’t just answer my questions, she had to add her personal comments about our program and how much she appreciates us.  I would consider her a main team player in the game of life.  We are all better for knowing and being around her.

Jenni in the middle when we
worked together in 2006

Every once in a while we get a chance to connect at a track meet or on the telephone and inevitably we end up chatting for an hour or longer about our teams and the sport of track and field.  She has very unique insights about how to make her athletes and teams better and I learn every time I get the opportunity to speak to her.  And usually it isn’t so much the technical side of coaching (which she is very knowledgeable), but more the organizational, inspirational and motivational side of it.  We also can’t help but imagine what it would be like to work together again.  Her addition to any staff would instantly make it better – someday I hope that can happen!

I asked her above what makes her laugh because I’m always smiling and laughing when she’s around.  She can brighten up your day no matter how bad it’s going and I’m sure that’s why her athletes and co-workers enjoy being around her so much.  While at Brooke Demo’s (Rasnick) wedding a couple years ago, I introduced myself to her parents as Jenni’s fiancée (inside joke because we are both forever single).  Jenni played along with it as we laughed the entire time.  Needless to say her parents will never give me permission to marry Jenni after that!

Whenever our Wichita State Track and Field teams win a championship or has success, Jenni is one of the first people to send us a congratulatory text message or phone call.  She always makes us feel good about what we are doing and how we are doing it. 

Jenni, you have positively affected so many people that I personally know, and I’m sure there are dozens, if not hundreds more, that feel the same way.  Thank you for being a light of inspirational to everyone around you.  I admire you for the way you live your life and your fierce dedication to living it the right way!