Brian Sternberg (June 21, 1943 – May 23, 2013)[2] was a world record holder in the men's pole vault who was paralyzed from the neck down after a trampoline accident in 1963.

Sternberg set one of his world records on May 25, 1963, in Modesto, California jumping 16 feet 7 inches (5.05 m) using new technology for the sport, a fiberglass pole.

[5] After graduation from Seattle's Shoreline High School in 1961, Sternberg enrolled at the University of Washington and won the 1963 NCAA pole vault title and also shattered the world record in the event twice.

The operation on his spinal cord allowed Sternberg to breathe deeper and easier, to speak more clearly and with greater volume.

Sternberg's unusually long life as a quadriplegic was credited, in part, to his athletic training and to a positive attitude.