The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

Rick Moore didn’t set out to become a legendary pole vault coach. He was a football guy. A wrestler. A chicken farmer. A middle school coach trying to figure it out.

Then one junior high track meet changed everything.

From that moment forward, Rik built one of Georgia’s most dominant programs:

🏆 Six straight state titles in the vault

🥇 Multiple 1–2 finishes at the state meet

🚀 Coaching Georgia’s first 16-foot high school male vaulter

🏅 A state team championship… with no ring and no parade

He coached through triumph and tragedy, gave up football to protect track, commuted an hour for 16 years to support his family, and eventually transitioned into officiating and facility consulting.

More than anything, Rik explains why track & field bonds people differently:

>The 100-lb miler and 300-lb thrower sharing the same grind

>Male and female athletes training through the same 400m pain

>Every great athlete starting in the same place

“Track and field has done more for me than I’ll ever do for it.”

— Rik Moore

This is a conversation about legacy, loss, leadership, and why track & field becomes more than a sport.

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