Words by Mark Janzen
Entering the Canada West championships, the Trinity Western University star pole vaulter, had already twice cleared 5.06m in competition over the course of the 2020 season. It had been his best season since his sophomore campaign at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) in 2016. Hernandez, 27, was creeping in on his personal record 5.20m, which he cleared four years earlier while finishing first at the So Cal Championships.
In his third year at TWU and his fourth year of eligibly, things were coming together for Hernandez.
Then, on a late-February Saturday afternoon in Saskatoon, he knocked the bar off on his final attempt at 4.80m. He punched the mat, stepped off and swiftly walked away.
"I was emotionally destroyed," recalls Hernandez.
His final mark of 4.70m earned him a silver medal, but on this day, there was zero solace in second.
Upon returning to Langley, Hernandez unraveled.
"I was emotionally unstable for a few days. I doubted myself so much."
He yearned for his college days in California when he was statistically at his vaulting best, for Mt. SAC and the championship form he had once uncovered.
Then TWU teammate Zach Augenstein entered the room and woke Hernandez to his reality.
Beyond all the poles, mats and runways, Augenstein helped Hernandez put the old days behind him. He helped him see what being at TWU has meant in his life.
"I realized that I grew up as a person here," Hernandez says. "This is where I grew up spiritually and this is where I matured. This is where I got closer to God.
"So, I just prayed and prayed and prayed."
He felt what it meant to truly place his identity in something larger than his sport.
"He came in as a guy who was just all about pole vault," says TWU assistant coach and Spartan alum Jamie Sinclair. "I know it's a cliché in the sporting world, but 100 per cent of his identity was in pole vaulting. If he was jumping well, he was on top of the world. If he wasn't, he was a nobody in his mind."
The two weeks leading up to the 2020 national championships was excruciatingly long, as he sought redemption. But in every quiet moment, he prayed.
On a Saturday in early March in Edmonton, Hernandez cleared 5.08m, marking the highest bar he gone over in nearly four years. His performance earned him the U SPORTS silver medal. And, as both he and Sinclair are quick to admit, he wasn't even in form.
"He wasn't having a day, but he managed to pull it out, which is so courageous and encouraging," Sinclair says. "He competed so well. His ability to clear the highest bar that he's cleared in four years and do so while not even jumping well, really shows how well he competed. He fought for that medal."
After his final attempt, he took another moment to pray. Then he phoned his family in Tepic.
This is a different Gio.
Born in Los Angeles, Hernandez moved to Tepic with his mother and sister when he was nine years old, joining a full home including his grandparents, his uncle, his aunt and three cousins.
"The house was packed every single day," Hernandez says. "I loved it. I kind of miss the chaos a bit."
It was in Tepic where the happy-go-lucky side of Gio was fostered.
"The culture is really warm and really intimate. Tepic is a strong influence on my culture. When I open up to someone, my Tepic side comes out."
Sport wasn't a thing for Hernandez until he was 15 years old. Before that, he buzzed around the apartment common areas with his neighbourhood friends, espousing an unbridled form of Gio-esque energy. If you know, you know.
Hernandez started his track and field career in long jump and triple jump – and he was decent – but in December 2008, he pleaded with his coach to try pole vault.
"If I don't clear (three metres), I'll stop bothering you," Hernandez said (in Spanish).
"You're a decent long jumper. I can't switch you that drastically."
"Come on. Please."
"Okay. If you jump three metres today, I'll let you pole vault and I'll even take you to regionals."
After a brief warmup, Hernandez did exactly that – launching himself up and over the required bar.
Thus began Hernandez's wild career pole vaulting career.
Read the full story at Trinity Western Spartans.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to find and fulfill their purpose in life. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has five campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vibrant faith community devoted to supporting vibrant leaders seeking to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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