Allison Stokke’s story is a powerful example of how the internet can change someone’s life in an instant—for better or worse. While she dreamed of being known for her talent as a pole vaulter, one photo taken when she was just 17 years old turned her into an online sensation for reasons she never asked for. That single image, intended to showcase athletic dedication, brought a wave of attention that was more invasive than inspiring, reshaping her life in ways she never imagined.
Born on March 22, 1989, in Newport Beach, California, Allison was raised in a family that valued athletics. Her brother David was a top-tier gymnast, and though Allison initially followed in his footsteps, she soon found her passion in pole vaulting. By high school, she was already making headlines. In 2004, she claimed the U.S. title for her age group, breaking records with a 3.81-meter vault. A year later, she shattered the American record for high school freshmen with a 3.86-meter vault. Her trajectory was impressive, with her sophomore year bringing another national record at 4.11 meters.
Despite a serious injury in 2005 that required surgery on a broken tibia, Allison kept pushing. Her dedication earned her a scholarship to the University of California. But in 2007, while competing in New York, a journalist captured a candid photo of her waiting her turn at a meet. That photo would be posted online, then re-shared by a male-focused sports blog under the headline, “Pole Vaulting is Sexy, Barely Legal.” The post emphasized her appearance over her athletic achievements, and within days, the image went viral.
Allison’s image flooded the internet, appearing on countless websites. Tribute pages sprang up, and strangers created fan groups focused more on her looks than her sport. Allison, only 17 at the time, was overwhelmed. Her family held a meeting to discuss how to deal with the attention. Her mother described feeling a mix of anger and worry. Meanwhile, Allison was flooded with messages—over a thousand on her Myspace profile alone. Though she hadn’t sought this fame, she was now a public figure, one without any control over how she was being portrayed.
The media quickly picked up the story. CBS ran a segment about the risks of young athletes being sexualized online. Still, despite the growing awareness, the burden of handling the situation fell largely on Allison herself. She hired a media consultant to try and manage the attention. But that didn’t stop the stares when she went out for coffee, or the anxiety she felt when alone at home. She kept her doors locked and avoided going out by herself. Her father, a lawyer, started monitoring online forums to protect her from stalkers and potential predators.
Allison later told The Washington Post that the experience made her feel devalued. “I worked so hard for pole vaulting,” she said, “but none of that seemed to matter. People weren’t seeing me. They were seeing a picture.” Her goals and accomplishments were being overshadowed by a single moment frozen in time.
Despite all this, Allison kept training. She focused on her studies in sociology while attending UC Berkeley and still competed in pole vaulting. She aimed for the 2012 London Olympics but didn’t qualify. While she didn’t achieve her Olympic dream, other doors began to open. She transitioned into a modeling career, working with Nike and GoPro. Her GoPro feature, which highlighted the skill and complexity of pole vaulting, gained over 6.5 million views on YouTube.
In 2017, Allison retired from competitive sports. That same year, she began dating pro golfer Rickie Fowler. The couple got engaged in 2018 and married in 2019. Today, they share a happy life together with their two daughters, including their newest addition, baby Nellie. Though she stepped away from the track, Allison remains connected to athletics. She and Rickie often work out together and support each other’s careers and passions.
Now 35, Allison has taken control of her narrative. With nearly 700,000 followers on Instagram, she uses her platform to speak up about the challenges women face in sports. She’s passionate about keeping young girls involved in athletics, especially since studies show that girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by age 14. She knows how important it is to have support and encouragement during difficult times.
In a recent post, Allison opened up about a pole vaulting accident that broke her finger. Instead of letting it define her, she used it as a teaching moment. “Yes, we have setbacks,” she wrote, “but it’s about how we come back stronger. Let’s inspire the next generation of girls to redefine what it means to be powerful.”
Allison’s journey is one of resilience. She turned an unwanted spotlight into a platform for advocacy. Rather than letting others define her, she reclaimed her story and now uses it to empower others. Her experience serves as a reminder of how quickly things can spiral online, but also how courage and persistence can help you rise above it.
So when we remember Allison Stokke, let’s not just recall the viral photo. Let’s remember the athlete, the scholar, the advocate, the mother. Her accomplishments deserve the spotlight. And the life she’s built—grounded in love, strength, and purpose—is more inspiring than any headline ever written about her.
