Amy Acuff's high jumping journey started at an extraordinarily young age in South Texas. At age five in the summer of 1980, Amy could be found at the track stadium competing in A.A.U. sprint races. 50 meter, 100 meter, and 200 meter races, which were specially organized for kids five and under, were her first introduction to sport. As her track and field exploits diversified, Amy took up other events and was a quick study. In 1985 she set an A.A.U. national long jump record for age 10 and under with 14'1". From this breakthrough accomplishment, Amy's determination would only grow. At Calallen Middle School in Corpus Christi, Texas, Amy would first be introduced to the high jump as a "filler" event to pick up extra points for the team. With exponential improvement, her 8th grade season would culminate in the amazing performance of 5'8-1/2". The mark set at age 13, would have been competitive at the high school state championships.
Amy's astonishing jump of 6'4" at age 17, incredibly defeated an international field. On a cold and rainy night in Innsbruck, Austria, she remarkably topped the three medalists from the then recent 1993 World Championships. After high school, Amy accepted a full athletic scholarship to UCLA. There, she had the great fortune to train under the elite mentorship of coaches Bob Kersee and Jeanette Bolden. At UCLA, she would earn a degree in Biology in four years, while also complementing her golden track and field resume. While a Bruin in 1995, Amy jumped 6'6" to establish a new collegiate record. This was on her way to 4 PAC-10, 3 NCAA Indoor, and 2 NCAA Outdoor titles.
Post-graduation, Amy remained in Los Angeles to train full-time. Being so close to the bright lights of Hollywood provided the opportunity to pursue part-time modeling. On select occasions she combined her eccentric flair for fashion with her athleticism by wearing non-traditional outfits while competing and attracting attention to a sport, which often times goes unnoticed. The success Amy found on the track at UCLA, combined with her subsequent resiliency on the professional circuit, has now established her as one of the world's elite for more than a decade.
She has finished ranked #1 in the U.S. three times, and been ranked no lower than 3rd in the nation for each of the last ten years. Amy has been ranked in the yearly top 10 in the world on five occasions. Her honors include two Olympic games, in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. Currently, she sets her sights high, on a third Olympic birth for Athens 2004. Her clearly-stated, lofty aspiration is to "become the first woman to clear 7'0" in the high jump". An American and World record would surely fall by along the path to such a breath-taking goal. In 2001, Amy relocated back to her native Texas. She now calls Austin home. Born from her interest in combining all elements of physical and mental health, Amy has added the study of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, at the Academy of Oriental Medicine to her daily routine.
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Amy Acuff Dunking
Amy Acuff Instructional High Jump DVD 2