Allison Stokke
Imagine being a talented athlete with dreams of making it to the top of your sport, only to have your life turned upside down by a single photo. That’s exactly what happened to Allison Stokke, a pole vaulter from California, who became an overnight sensation on the internet when a photo of her went viral. And while some people might have been thrilled to have their fifteen minutes of fame, for Allison, it was a nightmare come true.
You see, Allison had always been focused on her sport. She worked hard, practiced relentlessly, and set her sights on winning championships and setting records. And she was good – really good. But when that photo of her at a pole vaulting meet started making the rounds online, suddenly everyone was talking about her for all the wrong reasons.
But let’s back up for a moment. Before the photo, Allison was already a rising star in the world of pole vaulting. She had set records, won championships, and was well on her way to achieving her goals. But after the photo went viral, everything changed. Suddenly, she was famous – but not for her athletic abilities. Instead, she was the subject of misogyny, an object to be ogled and objectified.
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The image, which aimed to showcase her beauty and physique, was uploaded to a Californian track and field website and later shared on a sports blog that primarily catered to a male audience. The caption that accompanied it emphasized the sexy part of pole vaulting rather than its athletic prowess. The photo quickly went viral, being widely circulated across various social media platforms and even garnering coverage from media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The BBC, and Der Spiegel.
Despite the fame and attention that followed, Allison struggled to cope with the unwanted and inappropriate attention that came with the photo’s viral spread. She received numerous requests for photoshoots and interviews and was often approached by photographers seeking to capture her from inappropriate angles. Her parents provided support and guidance as she navigated this newfound attention, which also led to positive things like modeling partnerships with sportswear brands and modeling agencies. However, there were also a lot more negative sides to this as The University of California even refused to feature her photo on their athletics profile page due to the overwhelming number of inappropriate requests they received from men.
