River City Vault Club opening pole vault facility in Cape Girardeau

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - The Rademaker name and pole vaulting have gone hand in hand in southeast Missouri for decades.

Dr. Tim Rademaker is a longtime coach at Jackson High School and Southeast Missouri State University, where he also competed in pole vault. He passed along a love for the sport to his son Mark.

“We’d be in the backyard digging holes, running across the yard planting the pole into the hole and going over ladders, going over buckets on top of ladders with a cross bar,” said Mark Rademaker, founder of River City Vault Club.

“The pole vault was (my dad’s) true love. He’s been involved with that for probably 65 years.”

Following the same passion, Mark also competed in pole vault at the collegiate Division I level with Arkansas State University. He is hoping to grow the sport by opening the River City Vault Club with his dad.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from some of the best in the country, starting with my father, Olympic vaulting coaches, Olympians as well,” Mark said. “I thought how can I not share this with kids... This is the first step of actually being able to really do it.”

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