Allison Stokke’s life changed forever when a single photo turned her into an internet sensation—but not for the reasons she deserved. The once-rising young pole vault star faced unwanted attention that overshadowed her hard work and talent.
Born in 1989 in Newport Beach, California, Allison grew up in a sports-loving family. While her brother excelled in gymnastics, Allison found her passion in pole vaulting. Her natural talent shone early, setting national records as a teenager and earning a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley.
View this post on Instagram
Everything changed in 2007 when a photo snapped by a journalist captured Allison preparing for a vault in her spandex outfit. The picture was shared by a popular sports blog with a headline focusing on her appearance rather than her athletic skill. Overnight, Allison became a viral sensation, dealing with unwanted objectification and attention she hadn’t asked for.
View this post on Instagram
Though the photo wasn’t seductive by itself, it was turned into something else, sparking messages and obsessive attention online. Allison first heard about her viral fame from a friend and soon found her social media flooded with thousands of messages.
Her mother remembers that mix of anger and worry as the family saw her quickly become a target. Allison’s father even began monitoring online activity to protect her from dangerous stalkers.
Despite the pressures, Allison stayed focused on her pole vaulting career, although photographers frequently followed her at meets. Later, she shifted her focus to academics and continued competing with hopes for the 2012 Olympics, but those dreams didn’t materialize.
Instead, Allison embraced new opportunities as a sportswear model for brands like Nike and partnered with GoPro to showcase pole vaulting’s skill and challenge.
In 2017, she retired from competition and began dating professional golfer Rickie Fowler. They married in 2019 and now have three children together, often motivating each other in fitness and life.
Today, Allison has reclaimed her narrative, using her platform of nearly 700,000 Instagram followers to champion women in sports. She speaks openly about challenges girls face with self-doubt and dropping out of athletics, inspiring the next generation to find strength through perseverance.
Her story reminds us that behind viral moments are real people with talent, courage, and heart. Allison Stokke’s journey is one of resilience, lasting achievement, and reclaiming control over her own story.
