Olympic pole vaulter Eliza McCartney doesn't touch sugary drinks (including sports drinks) as they're bad for your teeth and contain heaps of calories we don't need, she says.
Eliza is the face of the Switch to Water campaign - a NZ Dental Association challenge for people to drink water instead of sugary drinks for 30 days.
Eliza McCartney Photo: NZDA
In New Zealand, one in 20 children have to get teeth extracted due to tooth decay, Eliza says.
Last year she visited some schools for the Switch to Water campaign and found kids were into making the switch from soft drinks to water.
"It's a habit … If you can break the habits when kids are young you can set them up for life."
Drinking water instead of soft drinks can be a great first step for anyone looking to become healthier, she says.
Elizar warns people against falling for the powerful marketing of sugary sports drinks.
"If you're an average New Zealander who plays sport, you don't need those drinks to hydrate. Its just added sugar and added electrolytes that you can get easily from water and food. It's not rocket science."
At the moment, Eliza says she's on a pretty light training schedule – "a bit of a holiday" – training around three hours six days a week.
Her next major competition is the world championships next October, then the Olympics eight months later.
Eliza is 21 now and pole-vaulters often don't peak until their late 20s, she says.
Her personal best jump is currently 4.94 metres and her goal is the elusive 5 metres, which has so far only been achieved outdoors by two women, including the current world champ, the Russian Yelena Isinbayeva.
Isinbayeva and American pole-vaulter Jenn Stuczynski – who Eliza says is one of her strongest competitors – are both 36.
Eliza predicts that in the next few years women will jump a lot higher than the current world record, which is 5.06 metres.
Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney Photo: Photosport
