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Shawn Barber, a former Olympic pole vaulter and gold medalist on the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, died on January 17, 2024, at his house in Kingwood, Texas at age 29. In line with the Related Press. Shawn’s agent, Paul Doyle, confirmed the information the next day, On January 18. No cause of death has been launched, however the information group reported that the athlete had been experiencing unspecified “well being points” and died from “medical issues.”
“Extra than simply an unimaginable athlete, Shawn was such a good-hearted person who all the time put others forward of himself,” Paul stated in a statement. “It’s tragic to lose such a superb particular person at such a younger age.”
Amid the information, right here’s what to know in regards to the lifetime of the outstanding younger athlete.
Shawn Was Canadian
Shawn was born in 1994 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, however his father was from Ontario, Canada. Rising up after his mother and father’ divorce, Shawn hung out in each Toronto and the U.S. Regardless of graduating from highschool in Houston, Texas, the athlete claimed Toronto as his hometown throughout aggressive observe and discipline occasions.
He additionally competed for Canada all through his profession, saying it was as a result of the nation positioned extra significance on his chosen sport — and since his father, George Barber, competed within the pole vault for Canada on the 1983 World Championships.
Shawn held twin Canadian-American citizenship, and he’s additionally survived by his mom, Ann, and brother, David.
He Had a Distinctive Identify
Although within the media he was generally known as merely Shawn Barber, the gifted pole vaulter was really born Shawnacy Campbell Barber.
He Was a Champion in Faculty
Shawn attended College of Akron in Ohio, the place he clinched back-to-back NCAA indoor championships in 2014 and 2015 for the pole vault. In 2015, he doubled down on his success with an NCAA outside championship, as nicely. He’d make 2015 a banner yr by rising triumphant with the gold on the Pan-Am Video games that summer season.
Shawn is a Canadian Document Holder
He achieved his profession pinnacle with a high vault of six meters (19 toes, 8 ¼ inches) on January 15, 2016, in Reno, Nevada. The mark was a file, and it stays the Canadian file to today. Shawnacy competed at the 2016 Summer season Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, and positioned tenth, regardless of opposed climate circumstances.
Shawn Got here Out in 2017
On April 24, 2017, Shawn took to Fb to publicly come out as homosexual in a since-removed submit. “Homosexual and proud!” he wrote through the social media platform, per Outsports. “Thanks to my mother and father for being such an ideal help. I proceed to develop as an individual and have an ideal help group. My mother and father are my biggest help and have helped me by means of quite a bit just lately. To my associates, you’re all the time my associates and i like you too!”
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