The odds appeared to be stacked against Nathan Filipek.

The 18-year-old, who was competing in the pole vault over the weekend at the Canadian junior national track and field championships in Charlottetown, PEI, was struggling with both a bad back, tweaked hamstring, and the fact that just days before he had to ship out his regular pole for the competition, it had broken.

But with no practices prior to the competition — instead he did physiotherapy on his troublesome hamstring and back — Filipek managed to clear 4.50m, tying a personal best, and capturing the silver medal.

The competition was for the top 19 and under athletes from across Canada.

“I was on a brand new pole and didn’t get the day of practice that everyone else got,” he explained.

“It was frustrating.”

His coach with the Walnut Grove Track and Field Club was impressed.

“He is a competitor,” said Wes Moerman, who was also in PEI as a coach for Team B.C.

“He took a really good perspective into the finals.

“(Nathan) controlled what he can control and after that, he set aside those distractions and he did his best to achieve the goal.”

“That was probably the most impressive component out of all of it,” Moerman added.

The event was won by Saskatchewan’s Lane Britnell, who cleared 4.60m.

That height was Filipek’s goal. Had he cleared that distance, he would have qualified for the Canadian team which will compete at the Pan American junior championships next week in Trinidad & Tobago.

One silver lining, besides the silver medal, was the fact that Filipek will represent B.C. at the Canada Summer Games, back in Charlottetown, next month.

Filipek, who graduated from Walnut Grove Secondary last month and is off the University of Victoria in the fall, only took up track and field a few years ago.

What he brought with him to the sport, however, was a strong athletic background. He has played basketball, volleyball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, rugby, and football.

“I was one of the skinny kids who thought he could play rugby all the time,” Filipek said.

But an injury prevented him from the game one season and he thought he would give track and field a try.

Moerman committed to training Filipek in pole vault if he was interested and his student quickly became enamored with the event.

“I tried it and just loved it,” he said.

He has also became a fast learner.

“Good speed, good work ethic, but most of all, the commitment,” Moerman said about what makes his pupil successful.

Being strong athletically helps too.

With no chance to compete in the pole vault at the university level, Filipek plans on finding a club to train and compete with in Victoria.

He is also expecting to join the Pacific Athletics Track and Field Club next spring when school is done.

The plan is to train and work towards representing Canada at the 2010 world junior championships.

The event is being held in Moncton, N.B.

“If I can get away from these injuries, I think I have a pretty good shot,” he said.