technically demanding than pole vaulting, and the man you re about to meet is still vaulting to heights that would impress athletes half his age. here s steve hartman on the road. reporter: here at the texas express pole vaulting gym near dallas, just about every kid jumps to the same conclusion: first time they see 82-year-old don isett walk in the door. i thought, oh, maybe he s someone s grandfather, or something. and then, i was like, oh, wait a minute. reporter: which soon leads to the second universal reaction: ( applause ) wow. is he okay? i thought. what he does is absolutely insane. reporter: don isett is the nation s top pole vaulter in his age group. a national champion. reporter: and pretty much the only pole vaulter in his age group. i ve got buckets of them. reporter: he picked up the sport for a second time at age 66. this is when you started? five decades after an