Cancer survivor beats the odds to break Canadian pole vault record at 80 years old

Prostate cancer survivor Tuomas Ukonmaanaho turned 80 on Dec. 1, 2024, and just months after undergoing major surgery, he’s back doing what he loves — competing in track and field.

Now part of the M80 division for men aged 80 to 84 in masters athletics, Ukonmaanaho is wasting no time chasing new records in sprinting, throwing, jumping — and pole vaulting.

At the Spruce Capital Meet at Masich Place Stadium on June 14, he cleared 2.15 metres, breaking a 30-year-old Canadian record in the M80 pole vault category. He topped that again two weeks later, vaulting 2.28 metres at the Jack Brow Track and Field Meet in Kelowna.

“I was successful in each of my first attempts and I quit at 2.28 metres,” said Ukonmaanaho. “It feels pretty good to break that record, especially since it was set in 1995. To break a 30-year-old record means something.”

The previous record of 2.03 metres was set by Ian Hume of Quebec on June 25, 1995, in Ontario.

A longtime member of the Prince George Track and Field Club and recipient of its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, Ukonmaanaho credits coach Quinn Matthews for reviving interest in pole vaulting.

“Oh yeah, the youngsters jump and jump and I watch,” Ukonmaanaho said, laughing. 

A self-proclaimed “lazy” vaulter, he says Matthews has helped him improve technically — even if he jokes he’s scared of heights.

Next up for Ukonmaanaho is the B.C. Masters Athletics Championships, hosted by the Greyhounds Track and Field Club in Coquitlam from Aug. 15 to 17.

He was golden in every event he entered at the Jack Brow Meet — winning the 60m sprint in 9.89 seconds, the shot put with a throw of 9.31 metres, and the javelin with 26.04 metres.

In addition to his achievements on the track, Ukonmaanaho has become an advocate for prostate cancer awareness.

“Men have to know to get the PSA test for prostate cancer,” he said. “That’s why I tell everybody — if you catch it in time, you’ll be lucky like me.”

After a biopsy revealed cancer in eight out of 15 samples, Ukonmaanaho opted for surgery, thanks to his excellent physical condition. He's the current M75 Canadian record holder for decathlon and has broken more than 50 age-class records between ages 65 and 80, including two world records as part of a relay team in 2022.

According to BC Cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second-leading cause of cancer death. It typically affects men over 60 and is often confined to the prostate. While many men die with, rather than from, prostate cancer, it can become fatal if it spreads to other organs.

Results

Here are the results for the Prince George T&F Club athletes who competed at the Jack Brow Meet held at the Apple Stadium in Kelowna in no particular order:

• Brad Frenkel, 61, M60 took gold in hammer throw with a throw of 35.98m, discus with 36.74m, shot put with 9.78m and javelin with 26.89m.
• Kevin Pettersen, 54, M50 took silver in hammer with a throw of 25.12m, bronze in shot put with 8.18m, discus with 22.66 m and javelin with 22.67m.
• Jacqueline Pettersen W50 took silver in javelin with a throw of 12.42 metres.
• Joan Harris, 62, W60 took gold in hammer throw with 31.43m, shot put with 8.29m, javelin with 22.82m and discus with 23.74m.
• Ava Matthews, 16, took gold in W16-17 pole vault with a leap of 2.48m.
• Quin Matthews, 41, took gold in M40 pole vault with a leap of 3.85m.
• Isabelle Day, 15, in W14-15 placed fourth in 100m hurdles with 14.74 seconds, fifth in 300m hurdles with 54.44 seconds, tied for sixth in the 100m dash with 13.98 seconds and ninth in 200m dash with 29.34 seconds.
• Thomas Reed, 16, placed fourth in M14-34 3000 metre run with 9:50.21 minutes and ninth in M16-34 1500m run with 4:37.02 minutes.
• James Reed, 17, took sixth in M16-17 1500m run with 4:18.75 and earned bronze in the 800m run with 2:04.39.
• Max Pettersen, 14, in M14-15 took eight place in discus with a throw of 25.06m.
• Sarah Aka,16, took silver in W16-17in 100m hurdles with a time of 14.71 seconds and eighth in the 100 m dash with 12.97 seconds.
• Wasim Aka, 18, took silver in M18-19 400m dash with 53.26 seconds and fourth in 100 m dash with 11.80 seconds.
• Monika Deveikyte in girls 12 years took bronze in 300m dash with a time of 50.12 seconds and in 80m hurdles took fifth place with 17.06 seconds and silver in in 1200m run with 4:57.00.
• Meriam Hana Aka took bronze in girls 10 years in 60m hurdles with 13.71 seconds, fourth in 60m dash with 10.26 seconds and sixth in 100m dash with 17.20 seconds and fifth in long jump with 2.79m leap.
• Eli Baumbach took gold in boys nine years 60m hurdles with a time of 12.21 seconds, gold in high jump with 1.10m, gold in long jump with 3.18m, gold in shot put with a 6.08m throw, silver in the 60m dash with 10.26 seconds and silver in the 100m dash with 16.41 seconds.
• Edward Barker took silver in boys nine years 60m hurdles with a time of 13.01 seconds, silver in long jump with 3.15m and bronze in the 60m dash with 10.63 seconds and fourth in the 100m dash with 17.24 seconds.
• Emmett Baumbach took sixth place in boys 11 years in the 60m dash in 9.99 seconds and sixth in 100m dash with 15.86 seconds, fourth in long jump with 3.93m, fourth in discus with a 11.80m throw and fifth in javelin with a 10.31m throw.
• Leighton Betz took fifth place in girls 13 years in the 200m dash with 29.29 seconds, bronze in 100m dash with 14.00 seconds, bronze in discus with a 16.57m throw and silver in javelin with a 16.82m throw.
• Alaina McDonald took sixth in girls 12 years in the 200m dash with 30.22 seconds, sixth in 100m dash with 14.30 seconds and seventh in long jump with 3.64m and took silver in shot put with 6.64m.
• Corbin Matthews took fourth place in boys 11 years in 1000m run with 4:20.41, fifth in shot put with 6.22m and bronze in discus with a 12.42m throw and bronze in javelin with 15.56m throw.
• Britta Harris took silver in girls 13 years in shot put with 7.85m throw and sixth in javelin with a 13.10m throw.