Maggie Has a Whale of a Time in New England

Maggie Steele had an awesome day at the New England Beach Vault.

With sunny blue skies and temps in the 70s, the weather was picture perfect for pole-vaulting at Narraganset Town Beach, Rhode Island, where a brisk ocean breeze boosted the intrepid vaulters.

Co-sponsored by the Patriot Pole Vault Club and Mansfield Athletics, nearly 30 athletes competed in the event, held September 29th. Copies of Maggie Vaults Over the Moon were presented as special awards.

Event organizer, Coach Douglas Lang was thrilled that one of the contestant was fictional heroine Maggie Steele, the most inspirational storybook pole-vaulter in the nation."It took a little while to get the photos from the event, but as you can see it was clearly worth the wait," said author Grant Overstake.Maggie Steele is a gutsy farm girl who overcomes tragedy and soars to new heights as a pole-vaulter. Her story has been endorsed by US Olympic vaulters, teachers, and many others — including Coach Lang — who identify with the book’s inspiring message for young people. At Lang's invitation, Maggie traveled 1,461 miles from Grain Valley, Kansas to share the awards stand."It was a weekend of firsts for Maggie," Overstake added. "It was her first trip to New England, and she got her first look at the Atlantic Ocean.  The vaulting was great, the food was great, and the setting was breathtaking."

The Patriot Pole Vault Club staff works tirelessly to promote pole vault and to educate athletes and coaches in a way that allows for safety and success to go hand-in-hand. The club's Mission is to "Help vaulters of all ages and abilities learn and practice pole vault in New England and beyond."

The town of Narragansett (nicknamed “Gansett”) occupies a narrow strip of land running along the eastern bank of the Pettaquamscutt River to the shore of Narragansett Bay. The population is about 16,000, but during the summer months the town’s population more than doubles to near 34,000."Maggie really wanted to go on a whale watching expedition, but was a few weeks too late for this season," Overstake said. "Nevertheless, she truly had a whale of a time."Maggie Vaults Over the Moon is available in paperback or eBook and can be purchased through Amazon.com in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain,  France, and Italy. Maggie also is available at Australia’s premier online bookseller, Angus & Robertson, and at hundreds of local independent US booksellers near you.

See more than 200 New England Beach Vault Photos!