Don, the 1960 Olympic pole vault champion, is
presently residing in Laguna Niguel, California
(Southern CA.) Before coming to this land of
sunshine he was a resident of New Jersey. Born and
raised in a rural town he notched his way from
competing with a bamboo pole to the power of a steel
pole.
His college career at Villanova University in
Pennsylvania launched his career from the best
in colleges to the best in the World. During
his 10 year career he accomplished every record
that crossed his path. His major challenge was
keeping his weight down in order to use the best
in aluminum poles. Fiberglass was just a
glitter in the eyes of the equipment companies
and their compound was not comparable to a pole
vaulter the
size of Don.
He continued to challenge himself even with the
poles being a factor. Through his dedication he
managed to accomplish every record placed before
him and to this day his records will stand for
infinity. (Indoor, Outdoor, Olympic and Olympic
Decathlon Records)
After his vaulting career Don went into the
movie business and was signed to make Tarzan
films. After several years of trials and
tribulations with the many legal aspects he decided
that this was not his forte'. So he entered the
business world and became the Special Assistant
for Youth and Recreation in New Jersey. This
also brought on another phase in the work
world. He created and started a camp for rural
children and incorporated tutorial studies in
order to enhance their schooling while enjoying
the outdoor activities. This program lasted for
over twelve years and has been utilized by other
states under the "Don Bragg Tutorial Camp
Program".
Don has continued to travel on motivational
programs, attend clinics, seminars and
conferences throughout the United States and
Europe. During these travels he has developed a
pole vault program that enhances the skills and
techniques of vaulters. His studies have been
used in various programs and he is presently
preparing pole vault clinics in Southern
California.
His personal life has been his greatest
award. He married his high school sweetheart,
Theresa Fiore Bragg and they have four children
and fourteen grandchildren. His goals for the
future will be to welcome great-grandchildren
and continue to stay active in a sport that
brought him so much pleasure.
