University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Morgann LeLeux
July 02, 2021 | Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
When Morgann LeLeux arrives in front of City Hall in her hometown of New Iberia, La., on Friday afternoon, she isn't sure what she will do. Will she stand? Will she sit? Will she wave like the Queen of England?
Not many of us ever get a parade thrown in our honor, and this is certainly a first for LeLeux, but at 6 p.m. CT Friday, her hometown will come out in force to celebrate the former Georgia All-American (2012-15) in the pole vault. Last Saturday, the 28-year-old earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, placing second at the U.S. trials in Eugene, Ore.
Five years ago, LeLeux, a three-time SEC champion and five-time All-American during her collegiate career, just missed out on competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics. LeLeux was the first alternate in the pole vault but ultimately didn't make it. This time around, LeLeux placed second in the U.S. trials with a top clearance of 15 feet 5 inches.
When she's not training, LeLeux spends much of her time coaching gymnastics at her family's gym in New Iberia, New Heights Gym. LeLeux was a very accomplished gymnast before turning her attention fully to the pole vault, and now she's passing along what she knows to children following in her footsteps.
During a Quick Chat on Wednesday, LeLeux talking about making the Olympic team, Friday's parade, her gymnastics background, her love of gumbo, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What have the past few days been like since you made the Olympic team last Saturday night?
LeLeux: Whew. I came home on Monday, so Sunday was the whole going through the (team) processing and understanding how the whole Olympic Games are going to work — and I'm not going to like, it's going to be a completely different Olympic Games with it being a COVID year.
I got to try on all of my uniforms and I actually got to take them home, and then I came home on Monday (laughs). And that became quite a nightmare. We were supposed to arrive back home around 3 (p.m.) and home around 5, but my first flight ended up getting canceled. We had to re-route and get that all fixed, and there were a bunch of rain delays, so we didn't get home until 2 a.m.
My family had my house completely decorated with all kinds of USA stuff — that was really awesome and it was really nice to walk into that. Pretty much ever since it's been interviews and it's been awesome to see my gymnasts — I saw them last night, the gymnasts that I coach — and I finally got to see my family. It hasn't stopped (laughs).
Frierson: Given how close you came in 2016, what did it feel like Saturday when you realized that you had made the Olympic team?
LeLeux: If I could explain it in words, I really would. It was insane. I just honestly believe it's my maturity factor that has played a big part in the last five years of really taking control of my training and who tells me what to do and how I want things done. I ask the questions now; I don't just do what I'm told, I want to know why I'm doing what I'm doing. I think that played a big factor. ... I just feel like over these years, compared to 2016, it's my maturity and the growth within myself.
This time I really believed that I deserved to be on this team and I deserved to be there. All the signs were there, and I really do give this one to God, because God was sending me those small signs.
Frierson: I read that on Friday, New Iberia is holding a parade in your honor ...
LeLeux: [Laughs]
Frierson: I assume this is the first parade ever held in your honor, so do you know what you're going to have to do?
LeLeux: Yes [laughs], it is. And I have no idea [laughs]. I don't know. I really, honestly believe it's going to be one big party. Down here they love to party, so any chance they can to put something together and do something fun, they're all up for it.
I am just told to be down on Main Street at 6 o'clock, and I'm going to just wave — I Don't Know!!! It will be my first parade, so I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. I think I'm the first-ever Olympic in New Iberia, so that's what they're taking this to a whole other level.
Frierson: How much of your pole vault success has come from your gymnastics background?
LeLeux: I would say it's everything. I feel like it set me up ... pole vaulting was so easy at the beginning. It was fun, and I didn't really take it seriously until I went to Georgia. I had a very successful freshman year, and I really had a successful four years, it's just that injuries came into play. I still rely on my gymnastics training, I still do a long of my gymnastics training for my pole vaulting.
Frierson: Moving away from the pole vault, what's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
LeLeux: I would probably say gumbo [laughs]. My husband has figured out how to cook it gluten-free because I've been gulden-free for a couple of years now, and it is the best. It tastes the same. We cooked it one time and didn't tell our family (it was gluten-free), and they didn't say a word. I was like, you see, it is just as good as our normal gumbo.
I would definitely choose chicken and sausage gumbo.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
LeLeux: I was a dancer and I love to choreograph dance routines, and I used to do that a lot. I don't do it quite as much as I used to but for gymnastics I get to choreograph all the girls' floor routines, so that kind of takes me back to that dancing background. That's my creative side.
Also, I was an Advertising major and I really like to do graphic design. I kind of have a little bit of a background in that, too, but nothing crazy. Any time I can make some logos or make T-shirts and stuff like that, I do things like that.
My newest passion, and it's not really creative, is plants [laughs]. I'm getting obsessed with plants. At the Olympic Trials, my Nanny's (aunt) going around taking pictures of my different plants so I could see how they're doing. They're blooming and it's a good time right now. They're like my babies.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
When Morgann LeLeux arrives in front of City Hall in her hometown of New Iberia, La., on Friday afternoon, she isn't sure what she will do. Will she stand? Will she sit? Will she wave like the Queen of England?
Not many of us ever get a parade thrown in our honor, and this is certainly a first for LeLeux, but at 6 p.m. CT Friday, her hometown will come out in force to celebrate the former Georgia All-American (2012-15) in the pole vault. Last Saturday, the 28-year-old earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, placing second at the U.S. trials in Eugene, Ore.
Five years ago, LeLeux, a three-time SEC champion and five-time All-American during her collegiate career, just missed out on competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics. LeLeux was the first alternate in the pole vault but ultimately didn't make it. This time around, LeLeux placed second in the U.S. trials with a top clearance of 15 feet 5 inches.
When she's not training, LeLeux spends much of her time coaching gymnastics at her family's gym in New Iberia, New Heights Gym. LeLeux was a very accomplished gymnast before turning her attention fully to the pole vault, and now she's passing along what she knows to children following in her footsteps.
During a Quick Chat on Wednesday, LeLeux talking about making the Olympic team, Friday's parade, her gymnastics background, her love of gumbo, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What have the past few days been like since you made the Olympic team last Saturday night?
LeLeux: Whew. I came home on Monday, so Sunday was the whole going through the (team) processing and understanding how the whole Olympic Games are going to work — and I'm not going to like, it's going to be a completely different Olympic Games with it being a COVID year.
I got to try on all of my uniforms and I actually got to take them home, and then I came home on Monday (laughs). And that became quite a nightmare. We were supposed to arrive back home around 3 (p.m.) and home around 5, but my first flight ended up getting canceled. We had to re-route and get that all fixed, and there were a bunch of rain delays, so we didn't get home until 2 a.m.
My family had my house completely decorated with all kinds of USA stuff — that was really awesome and it was really nice to walk into that. Pretty much ever since it's been interviews and it's been awesome to see my gymnasts — I saw them last night, the gymnasts that I coach — and I finally got to see my family. It hasn't stopped (laughs).
Frierson: Given how close you came in 2016, what did it feel like Saturday when you realized that you had made the Olympic team?
LeLeux: If I could explain it in words, I really would. It was insane. I just honestly believe it's my maturity factor that has played a big part in the last five years of really taking control of my training and who tells me what to do and how I want things done. I ask the questions now; I don't just do what I'm told, I want to know why I'm doing what I'm doing. I think that played a big factor. ... I just feel like over these years, compared to 2016, it's my maturity and the growth within myself.
This time I really believed that I deserved to be on this team and I deserved to be there. All the signs were there, and I really do give this one to God, because God was sending me those small signs.
Frierson: I read that on Friday, New Iberia is holding a parade in your honor ...
LeLeux: [Laughs]
Frierson: I assume this is the first parade ever held in your honor, so do you know what you're going to have to do?
LeLeux: Yes [laughs], it is. And I have no idea [laughs]. I don't know. I really, honestly believe it's going to be one big party. Down here they love to party, so any chance they can to put something together and do something fun, they're all up for it.
I am just told to be down on Main Street at 6 o'clock, and I'm going to just wave — I Don't Know!!! It will be my first parade, so I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. I think I'm the first-ever Olympic in New Iberia, so that's what they're taking this to a whole other level.
Frierson: How much of your pole vault success has come from your gymnastics background?
LeLeux: I would say it's everything. I feel like it set me up ... pole vaulting was so easy at the beginning. It was fun, and I didn't really take it seriously until I went to Georgia. I had a very successful freshman year, and I really had a successful four years, it's just that injuries came into play. I still rely on my gymnastics training, I still do a long of my gymnastics training for my pole vaulting.
Frierson: Moving away from the pole vault, what's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
LeLeux: I would probably say gumbo [laughs]. My husband has figured out how to cook it gluten-free because I've been gulden-free for a couple of years now, and it is the best. It tastes the same. We cooked it one time and didn't tell our family (it was gluten-free), and they didn't say a word. I was like, you see, it is just as good as our normal gumbo.
I would definitely choose chicken and sausage gumbo.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
LeLeux: I was a dancer and I love to choreograph dance routines, and I used to do that a lot. I don't do it quite as much as I used to but for gymnastics I get to choreograph all the girls' floor routines, so that kind of takes me back to that dancing background. That's my creative side.
Also, I was an Advertising major and I really like to do graphic design. I kind of have a little bit of a background in that, too, but nothing crazy. Any time I can make some logos or make T-shirts and stuff like that, I do things like that.
My newest passion, and it's not really creative, is plants [laughs]. I'm getting obsessed with plants. At the Olympic Trials, my Nanny's (aunt) going around taking pictures of my different plants so I could see how they're doing. They're blooming and it's a good time right now. They're like my babies.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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