Robin Bone moves to Canada

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Robin’s flight: Ace Wave pole vault champ Bone moves house to native Canada
Written by Steven Buono
Friday, 10 September 2010 10:23


PRACTICE PAID OFF — Robin Bone between jumps at practice at DHS last spring, produced the best pole vault among sophomores in the USA. (Darien Times/Steven Buono photo)

Young Darien High track star Robin Bone spent her two years on the Wave bounding points north as a record-setting champion pole vaulter.

Little did she know that her trajectory would so swiftly sail her right up and over the Canadian border, landing back in her family’s native land at the end of the summer break.

And not for the Canadian national meet, which she competed in as a dual-national this summer, but to live, leaving DHS behind.

“My family and I (moved) to London, Ontario,” Bone said. “London is located about two hours west of Niagara Falls and two hours east of Detroit.”

But you can not measure in miles the distance she is going to feel apart from the piece of her heart left back at the DHS oval, nor the void that the DHS track teams, winter and spring, will experience in return.

“Leaving the Darien track team is very hard because this is where it all started,” said Bone, a sophomore last season who finished third at the Canadian meet, and won FCIACs with a gold, state record vault of 12-6 outdoors her first time competing under the sun. “The man behind my success so far is Steve Norris, also known as 'Norrie'.”

That’s Darien High girls track and cross country coach of three decades, Norris.

“Norrie really opened my eyes to how great the sport of track and field is and how it’s more than just running,” said Bone, who is also a front-running hurdler and long jumper. “It’s striving for new goals, reaching new levels and fighting for your dreams to become reality.

“Norrie does everything he can to provide the best environment possible for each and every athlete.”

Bone’s environs included lush lands. Pole vaulting, she also landed in the top 20 at the USA national meet and possessed the best pole vault result in the country for a sophomore last spring.

She was both state open and New England regional runner-up up and over the bar.

“Over these past two years the girls on the track team haven’t been just teammates, but sisters, because as much as track seems like an individual sport, at Darien High School, it’s a family,” said Bone, who was close to Elizabeth Crafford, and is also a two year indoor champ. “All the girls on the championship teams are bonded tightly and that is what led to everyone’s successes.”

Bone’s athletics began with gymnastics and included lacrosse.


HAPPY NEST — Darien sophomore Robin Bone (right) and fellow Wave pole vaulter, upper classman Elizabeth Crafford share a moment on the ground last spring. (Darien Times/Steven Buono photo)

“I will always be in touch with these girls as I will miss them all very much,” she said. “I can’t thank the girls, the assistant coaches and Norrie enough for making everything possible.”

Bone leaves DHS in good shape. The Wave paced the event in the state, always dominating meets with high scoring results down the line-up of Crafford, Lee Bolton, Charlotte Phillips and Katie Southworth, all who remain, plus Class of 2010's Ann Fucigna.

She’s aiming high, as a pole vaulter must, going into her next season and beyond.

“In the future, if I work hard enough, I want to reach my biggest goal on my list that is going to the Olympics,” she said. “That is very far down the road and probably a little bit crazy, but it’s always in the back of my mind whenever I’m training.”

Bone, with teammates, spent weekends hopping the bar next to Stadium Field, even as the Stadium itself convulsed with high pitched boys lacrosse team action under the battering sun.

“I want people to know, that I want to work as hard as I can to reach all of my goals,” she added. “I told my coach Dave (Collins) that I want him to tell me every correction he sees and don’t go easy on me because I want to be the best and do whatever it takes.

“For now though, I plan on doing track solely because I’m in love with the sport.”

What’s it like where she now resides?

“It is a city of approximately 500,000 people, and home to one of the ‘Big Four’ Canadian colleges — The University of Western Ontario," she said. “It is the university where my parents attended school and we have many close family friends there.”

Her parents both taking new jobs up north this summer.

“My dad, Jamie Bone, is coaching football for the university as well, as they are one of the top football programs in Canada.”

Jamie was much involved with Darien Junior Football and assistant coach with the Blue Wave during the Bone’s 10 years in town, while Robin’s big brother Stevenson was a football quarterback with DJFL and then the Wave.

“My family is originally Canadian and moved to the US in 1999 from Toronto,” she said. “All of my family and relatives are located in Canada as well, so it will be nice to live closer to them.

“I will be attending Oakridge Secondary School. It is very much like Darien High School, strong academics, strong sports, and lots of pride, so it will be an easy transition for me when I start school.”

She began classes the new kid in town on Sept. 7.

“As for track, I will also be in the same city as my pole vaulting coach, Dave Collins,” she said of the coach who instructed her via Skype over the summer. “Fortunately, Dave will coach me all year round as I will be competing for my high school and joining a track club as well.”

She appreciates her circumstances, and sifts her gifts with gratitude.

“I see myself as very lucky to have the things that matter to me most, family, friends, and interests right in the city where my parents chose to move,” Bone added.