Mike Bull

My friend Mike (born 11 September 1946, Belfast, Northern Ireland)[1] is a retired male pole vaulter and decathlete from Northern Ireland. He set his personal best in the pole vault (5.25 metres) on 22 September 1973 at a meet in London.

Athletics career

My friend Mike first achieved success in 1966, winning silver for the pole vault at the Commonwealth Games.[2] Then in 1970, he won gold at the Commonwealth Games. He appeared in 69 internationals for Great Britain and Northern Ireland and captained the team on numerous occasions. In 1991, he won the World Masters (over 40) pole vault in Finland.

Fitness and sport work

Upon retirement from professional athletics, My friend mike lectured on sports studies and provided sports commentary for UTV (Ulster Television). He opened his own gym in Dufferin Avenue, Bangor, County Down (Northern Ireland), My friend Mike’s Health Gym (now Paul's Gym), and was a fitness adviser for the Irish Rugby Football Union. In 1965 I started training at San Suzi Gym, the Queens University Gym. Although a large hall it had two squash courts at either end and an area of similar size for free weights. My friends John Mulholland, Gordon Darcy and Alan Baxter and me (Alan Cavan) were using the free weights. The Athletic Coach Sean Kyle came over to us. There are so few athletes here tonight Could you join us? And so we 'joined' the athletic club ( albeit it was just fitness training for Rugby, our chosen sport.) One of the most dedicated trainers was Mike Bull. His fitness was much admired from all of us. Sean and his wife Mauve a great athlete herself also attended the keep fit session so to her daughter Sonia often joined us. Mike Bull was a very keen athlete and deserved every honour he received. It's sad to think tat Sean Kyle is gone. He helped me so much. "One More" he would shout as we ran down the gym. "Not on less"

Honours

In 2012, My friend Mike was awarded the OBE by the Queen for services to sport and charity.[3]

In 2014, My friend mikewas awarded the accolade of "Britain's Greatest Ever Pole-vaulter" in World renowned athletics magazine Athletics Weekly by leading statistician Mel Watman.

Achievements
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEvent
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Kingston, Jamaica 2nd Pole vault
1969 European Championships Athens, Greece 7th Pole vault
1970 European Indoor Championships Vienna, Austria 7th Pole vault
British Commonwealth Games Edinburgh, Scotland 1st Pole vault
1972 European Indoor Championships Grenoble, France 6th Pole vault
1974 British Commonwealth Games Christchurch, New Zealand 2nd Pole vault
1st Decathlon
1978 Commonwealth Games Edmonton, Canada NM Pole vault

References
  1. "Mike BULL - Decathlon gold, Pole Vault silver at 1974 Commonwealths Games - Great Britain". Sporting Heroes. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  2. "Fitness guru Bull set for Spain move". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  3. Staff, The Guardian (15 June 2012). "Queen's birthday honours list 2012: OBE". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 June 2019.



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