55: Mo Beck, AU2 Paralympic Hopeful
Mo is a paraclimber in the AU2 class, and she is trying to qualify for the 2028 Paralympics! She has been climbing for over 22 years and had actually retired from competing…until hearing about the Paralympics. In this episode, we’ll learn more about what it’s like climbing with a stump, whether outdoor, indoor, or comp setting is most friendly to her impairment, we’ll talk about petty drama in the community, and what sport shopping is in the Paralympics.
Timestamps
Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Intro
1:18 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!
1:59 - Lifting at a bro-y gym
3:28 - The 'stump' impairment
7:40 - Getting into climbing and competing
13:39 - Thoughts on gym setting for her stump
22:10 - Becoming a real sport means drama
28:16 - "Training" back then vs real training now
29:29 - World Cup appearances 2026 and 2027
30:55 - What we know about Paralympics qualifications
32:18 - How the Paralympics have changed paraclimbing
35:49 - Paralympic "Sport shopping"
38:09 - Heartbreak over which sport classes got chosen for the Paralympics
42:17 - What her training will look like to qualify at 39 years old
46:44 - Audience Q: What does the process look like to qualify for Paralympics?
48:59 - Dealing with comp nerves
50:49 - Is outdoor climbing more friendly for her stump?
52:38 - Outdoor projects and first ascents
58:00 - AUDIENCE Q: Favorite comp memory?
1:01:02 - AUDIENCE Q: Podium cupcake story?
1:03:20 - AUDIENCE Q: Getting sponsored by North Face and tips for getting sponsors
1:06:20 - Words of wisdom and where to find Mo
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WEBVTT
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i've tried to be strong and like not tape and
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see if i could just toughen it up and i just
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it bleeds everywhere and it's awful so tips for
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getting sponsored is tough because i had already
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won two world championships before i even got
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a free bag of chalk um so it's it's the the barrier
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to entry is high it's funny um you know it's
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a real sport when all of a sudden there's like
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beef between athletes and like so there's some
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petty drama and it sucks for those people, but
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I'm in the background being like, guys, we're
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a real sport now. Like, this is great. Welcome
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to another episode of the That's Not Real Climbing
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podcast. I'm your host, Jinni, and I'm excited
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to introduce my guest for today, Mo Beck. Mo
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is a paraclimber in the AU2 class, and she's
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trying to qualify for the 2028 Paralympics. She's
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been climbing for over 22 years and had actually
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retired from competing until hearing about the
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Paralympics. In this episode, we'll learn more
00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:58.240
about what it's like climbing with a stump, whether
00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:00.820
outdoor, indoor, or comp setting is most friendly
00:01:00.820 --> 00:01:03.590
to her impairment. And we'll talk about petty
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drama in the community and what sports shopping
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is in the Paralympics. I hope you enjoy this
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episode with Mo. Please pardon this brief intermission,
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but I'm excited to talk about Madrock's newest
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Now back to the show. How are you doing today?
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I'm great. Did you do training? I had a training
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session in the morning, but puppies were also
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there. So it wasn't a very focused training session
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because I kept stopping to go, aww. Oh yeah,
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that's hard. And came home, took a nap. and now
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i'm here pretty much do you have like super long
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training sessions or is it like right now i do
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um i don't have nationals for another month so
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i probably have another two weeks of double like
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today was only one session um probably three
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days a week i'll do climb in the morning come
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home a couple hours and then go lift i got a
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membership to one of those broey gyms and i actually
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really love it okay um but yeah like a non -climbing
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gym or yeah okay And it's huge. It's like 17
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treadmills and 14 squat racks. And it's full
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of like the kind of worded out guys that have
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their boobs hanging out of those really deep
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cut tank tops. But I love it because everyone
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at the climbing gym is so nice that we end up
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talking and it takes forever. And no one talks
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to me at all at like the big box gym. So I could
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see that. But it does make for long days. And
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I get I'm focusing more on lifting now than I
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ever have. And I am tired all the time. What's
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the reason for that? Um, just a change. It's
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something I've read more about, like, especially
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now that I'm older, a little older, um, good
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for general health. I'm kind of more focused
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on power, um, than anything, um, you know, strong
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over skinny. And so I'm just, I'm kind of just
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mixing it all up this go around kind of like
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flipping a lot of the training that I have done
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in the past on Ted. Okay, cool. Well, I definitely
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want to get a little bit more into training and
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your plans for training and nationals a little
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bit later. But just so people have a good idea
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of who you are. What is your impairment? And
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what sports class do you compete in? Sure. So
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my name is my back. I'm a professional climber
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first, probably para climber second. And I was
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born without my left hand above the wrist below
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the elbow. So kind of more towards the wrist,
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my stumps a little longer. And that places me
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in the AU2 class for IFSC competitions. And it
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stands for amputee upper level two based on where
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my amputation is. And I guess like what are the
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classification differences between one, two and
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three? Yeah, so one. doesn't quite exist anymore.
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It got folded into another one. Maybe it'll change
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one day as numbers grow, but they don't have
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an elbow. So they're kind of like more of a truly
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one armed or that's how they climb is using only
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one arm. We have some folks who have an arm,
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but maybe they had like a brachial plexus injury.
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So it kind of just flops around like a fish.
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And so they climb using one arm. AU2 is me. You
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have an elbow, but no wrist. And then once you
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have a wrist, you're in the AU3 category. There
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is a minimum. impairment for that one like sorry
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tommy caldwell but the half digit isn't going
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to get you into the paralympics but um but yeah
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those folks generally have the risk so it's kind
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of about your joint count um for upper amputees
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okay cool good to know and i just want to like
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make sure that you do just like call it a stump
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or is there like another word for it yeah i mean
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when I was a little kid it was my little hand
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and like cute nicknames but yeah stump is generally
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what most people are gonna call it um you know
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there's a more medical term but that's just like
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very cold and dry so it's just a stump okay cool
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I will continue calling it a stump then um I
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noticed like in photos you like wrap it um is
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there like a reasoning behind that or like how
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much feeling do you have in it so I have I would
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say all the feeling roughly. Because I was born
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with my amputation, I'm a congenital amputee.
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I don't have like scar tissue or raw bone like
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you see in a lot of, especially leg amputees.
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Most upper limb amputees, at least in the climbing
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competition circuit are. congenital and most
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lower limb amputees have had some sort of traumatic
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accident. And so if you've lost a limb, you have
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scar tissue and it can really hurt to grab things.
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But for me, I can beat on it pretty well. But
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the skin that I have there, it's like forearm
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skin. It's not designed to callus. And I've tried,
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I've tried to be strong and like not tape and
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see if I could just toughen it up. And I just,
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it bleeds everywhere and it's awful. There are
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some folks like me who don't tape. I don't know
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how. And so for me, the tape protects my skin,
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but it's still thin enough. Like some people
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wonder why I don't use a big, thick rubber sleeve.
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And that's because I couldn't feel the holds
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through that. Yeah, makes sense. So the tape
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allows me to still have that dexterity and feel
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what I'm grabbing while protecting my skin. Okay,
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interesting. noticed now that i guess my forums
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don't get calloused because i mean you'll like
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sometimes hurt it on the wall or something and
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then i never thought about it like when i climb
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outside a lot the red river gorge which is big
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buckets sometimes and like above my tape line
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i will get like gabby and gross like a turn screen
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it's really nasty but it never heals into a callus
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like it just like the scab heals off and then
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it's just it is so um I do have sort of a subdermal
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callus, I call it, on the part of my stump that
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grabs the holds the most. Like the skin on top
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is still soft, but there's this lump underneath
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it. And that has to be from climbing. I mean,
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I'm sure there's no medical term for it, but
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yeah, that's a new thing. I certainly, I haven't
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had a new prosthetic in a long time, but I certainly
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can't fit any of them from 10 years ago or 15
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years ago before I was climbing a lot. Everything's
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changed. Okay, interesting. But then the skin
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on top is still like soft, so it can like break
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and bleed. Yeah, yeah. Good to know. So then,
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yeah, it sounds like you've been climbing a long
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time and then also competing for a while. So
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how did you get started climbing and then competing
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eventually? Yeah, I started climbing in my first
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climbing experience. I was 12 and it was outside
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on a really cool grant boulder. I went to an
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awesome Girl Scout camp in northern middle of
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nowhere, Maine. And they had these big house
00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:05.459
-sized glacial erratic boulders. Um, so it was
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just some 30 foot top rope. I don't think I even
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made it to the top, but something about climbing.
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Um, I just, I loved it because I couldn't fake
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my way through it. A lot of other sports, like
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I played soccer, but like you use your feet or
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like in archery, I could still use my prosthetic,
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but in rock climbing, it was just like, I couldn't
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fake it. I had to just do it. Um, and there,
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I had to make up my own things, but it was just
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a way, it's a really honest sport. It's really
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pure, like your body and this rock sport. Um,
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And I also liked it because when you're up there,
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it's just you and the rock. And I always say
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the rock doesn't care that I have a disability
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or that I was a girl or whatever. It's just like
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you and this rock and the rock doesn't care.
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Versus all the other sports I had done. But when
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you're 12, you don't have a lot of agency to
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like go rock climbing if you're not from a rock
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climbing family. So in high school, I started
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saving my babysitting money to hire a guy. I
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grew up outside of Acadia National Park, which
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has incredible climbing. So I would save up my
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babysitting money to hire a guide with a girlfriend
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here and there. And then in college, I, promptly
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joined the outing club and climbing club and
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that was kind of the beginning of the end but
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that was 20 years ago now was college did they
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kind of like treat you differently like when
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you were trying to climb or was it um yeah kind
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of chill just like everyone else i definitely
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did the fake it till you make it thing um i rolled
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in my freshman year and i was just like i've
00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:25.120
read freedom of the hills seventh edition and
00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:27.399
i know everything there is about climbing and
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people are like yeah okay sure Um, but I definitely,
00:09:31.259 --> 00:09:33.539
you know, there wasn't really, you couldn't just
00:09:33.539 --> 00:09:36.100
Google how to be a disabled climber or how to
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belay with one. In fact, it didn't exist. Uh,
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so I spent those years just thinking I was, I
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was the only person like me in the world. Like
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I must be the only amputee upper limit PT rock
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climbing. So it was a lot of trial and error.
00:09:47.419 --> 00:09:49.779
Um, and it was a lot of, a lot of pressure on
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myself to be better and like beat expectations.
00:09:55.980 --> 00:09:59.940
Um, And I definitely had some doubts on whether
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people would want to climb with me because I
00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:05.419
just, I acted like I had confidence, but I definitely
00:10:05.419 --> 00:10:07.019
didn't. I was just like, no one's going to climb
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with me. I'm not going to ever climb hard. I'll
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never be able to lead climb. So I kind of just
00:10:11.820 --> 00:10:14.980
muddled through for a very long time. And it
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wasn't until I moved to Colorado in 2012 that
00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:22.500
I really met other, started climbing a lot with
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other disabled athletes. But it wasn't until
00:10:24.860 --> 00:10:27.580
2009 is when I had my first ever event I did
00:10:27.580 --> 00:10:29.179
with Parallel Sports. It was ice climbing, actually.
00:10:29.580 --> 00:10:31.600
And that was my first time climbing with other
00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:34.980
disabled people. So I was 22. I had spent two
00:10:34.980 --> 00:10:37.259
decades thinking I was the only person like me
00:10:37.259 --> 00:10:40.419
or not hanging out with people like me. So that
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was pretty mind -blowing. And then eventually,
00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:45.320
how did you get into competition climbing? That
00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:47.200
was kind of a whim. So I've been living in Colorado
00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:50.830
for a bit, climbing a lot. Three days a week
00:10:50.830 --> 00:10:52.750
after work, one weekend day, hitting the gym
00:10:52.750 --> 00:10:55.950
whenever I could, just really bit it. And in
00:10:55.950 --> 00:10:59.250
2013, the Bouldering National Championships were
00:10:59.250 --> 00:11:01.029
in Colorado Springs. And a friend of mine said,
00:11:01.129 --> 00:11:02.750
hey, they're doing a para category if you want
00:11:02.750 --> 00:11:04.909
to come down. So I went and I did that and it
00:11:04.909 --> 00:11:07.909
didn't suck. I didn't really get climbing comps,
00:11:07.909 --> 00:11:10.330
but I was like, that was fun. And then 2014 was
00:11:10.330 --> 00:11:12.649
the first ever para climbing nationals for USA
00:11:12.649 --> 00:11:16.269
Climbing. And I went on a whim, last minute flight.
00:11:16.830 --> 00:11:19.409
It was in Atlanta, Georgia in July. So it was
00:11:19.409 --> 00:11:24.289
pretty miserable. But I won out of one person
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in my class. And it counts. I have the medal
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right behind me. And that's when the coaches
00:11:31.769 --> 00:11:33.509
and directors said, like, well, if you want,
00:11:33.549 --> 00:11:35.350
you had a spot on the team where the world championships
00:11:35.350 --> 00:11:38.450
in Spain this fall. Do you want to go? And I
00:11:38.450 --> 00:11:41.669
had never been abroad. Always wanted to travel,
00:11:41.769 --> 00:11:43.850
but was always a little needed that push. And
00:11:43.850 --> 00:11:48.070
here's the push. And so I went and I won there
00:11:48.070 --> 00:11:50.769
out of three, which is better. Yeah. Um, but
00:11:50.769 --> 00:11:53.230
that was kind of, that was my, my second level
00:11:53.230 --> 00:11:55.190
of like beginning of the end of this new life
00:11:55.190 --> 00:11:56.870
was I came home and like, well, I want to do
00:11:56.870 --> 00:11:58.529
better and I know it's going to grow and it's
00:11:58.529 --> 00:12:02.509
going to be popular. Um, and it's grown immensely.
00:12:02.570 --> 00:12:05.129
That first nationals Atlanta was maybe 30 athletes
00:12:05.129 --> 00:12:08.649
and next month in Houston where I am expecting
00:12:08.649 --> 00:12:11.470
well over 200. Wow. Yeah. And the world's championships
00:12:11.470 --> 00:12:14.559
to my first year, I won out of three. And last
00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:16.000
year's World Championships, which I didn't go
00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:18.039
to, there probably was at least 20 girls in my
00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:19.799
category, which is insane to me that there are
00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:23.179
20 one -armed female climbers who love climbing
00:12:23.179 --> 00:12:25.779
enough to like spend the money, spend the time,
00:12:25.899 --> 00:12:29.860
do this. But I think that speaks to how a para
00:12:29.860 --> 00:12:32.139
climbing competition is more than just the climbing
00:12:32.139 --> 00:12:34.220
competition, like the community within para.
00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:37.080
You know, where else can I talk to other people
00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:38.879
about how they tape their stump or what they
00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:41.139
do? So it's just there's a deeper layer to it
00:12:41.139 --> 00:12:43.580
than just a competition for all of us. yeah it's
00:12:43.580 --> 00:12:46.279
really cool how much it's grown but also there's
00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:49.480
nothing wrong with being winning out of one person
00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:51.840
i always feel like that has like happened to
00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:54.220
me in the past and it's always just like well
00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:56.360
if people wanted to then they also could have
00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:58.720
done it but i mean and for a lot of those smaller
00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:01.419
comps or any comp at all like showing up to your
00:13:01.419 --> 00:13:03.399
first one especially is the hardest part yeah
00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:05.970
that's the crux Yeah. There's like difficulty
00:13:05.970 --> 00:13:07.929
in just believing in yourself and signing up
00:13:07.929 --> 00:13:10.029
to do it like that. I remember I was I was fundraising
00:13:10.029 --> 00:13:11.730
for that Spain World Champs because I was just
00:13:11.730 --> 00:13:13.870
like, I don't know, I'm like practically a kid.
00:13:13.990 --> 00:13:15.789
But I think I worked for Vail Resorts for 12
00:13:15.789 --> 00:13:17.830
bucks an hour. So I did a GoFundMe. And I remember
00:13:17.830 --> 00:13:20.370
this guy in Mountain Project kind of ran his
00:13:20.370 --> 00:13:22.309
mouth about like one out of one. That's not impressive.
00:13:22.629 --> 00:13:25.370
And I was just like, ah, suck it. You could have
00:13:25.370 --> 00:13:26.730
done it. Well, I mean, I guess you couldn't have
00:13:26.730 --> 00:13:28.950
joined that category, but there's other things.
00:13:29.009 --> 00:13:31.070
I mean, that's the one thing about para climbing
00:13:31.070 --> 00:13:34.139
is we're all one. blown stop sign away from joining.
00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:37.539
Yeah, exactly. So getting into para climbing
00:13:37.539 --> 00:13:41.200
a bit in IFSC slash world climbing now, I don't
00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:43.120
have the experience of what it's like to climb
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:45.840
with that impairment. So are there any moves
00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:47.840
that are like easier for you with your impairment
00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:50.820
and ones that they said that are like harder
00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:53.120
for you? Yeah, I spent a lot of time just even
00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:55.559
at like the gym daily talking to my friends about
00:13:55.559 --> 00:13:58.399
that, or there was this route that I did really
00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:00.419
well on. And a lot of my friends pumped off and
00:14:00.419 --> 00:14:02.019
fell off. And I was like, you know, guys, I think
00:14:02.019 --> 00:14:03.840
I actually have an advantage because there's
00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:06.200
I have a left stump and there's just like left
00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:08.220
reach around a steep roof. And if you have an
00:14:08.220 --> 00:14:10.740
arm and fingers, you're like at this weird lock
00:14:10.740 --> 00:14:12.460
off angle. I'm trying to cramp in your pump.
00:14:12.600 --> 00:14:15.580
But for me, I can just go and like just the physics
00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:18.159
of my lever of my arm. I could just hang out
00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:20.580
there forever. So there certainly are times it's
00:14:20.580 --> 00:14:24.940
an advantage. I would say usually it's a disadvantage
00:14:24.940 --> 00:14:29.019
compared to most times. But I'm. still all these
00:14:29.019 --> 00:14:31.220
years later constantly surprising myself by like
00:14:31.220 --> 00:14:33.360
avoiding a route that has lots of pockets and
00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.500
this is in the gym um but then I finally I'm
00:14:35.500 --> 00:14:37.940
like well I'm out of 12s to try I might as well
00:14:37.940 --> 00:14:39.460
try this one and then I try it I'm like well
00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:42.440
actually that went better than I thought or something
00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:45.460
that looks great for me and there's just like
00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:48.159
something out of like open a pinch at a weird
00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:50.440
slopey angle where my stump just as soon as I
00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:52.279
let go with my right hand my stump just slides
00:14:52.279 --> 00:14:55.639
off and that's the end okay So whenever someone's
00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:57.480
like, what's your style? What do you like? I'm
00:14:57.480 --> 00:14:58.879
like, I don't know. I'm just, I'm still learning
00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.860
every day. Actually, yeah. Also, how hard is
00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:04.480
it to like keep the tape on the stump? Because
00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:06.980
whenever I like tape anything, it's just, it
00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:12.379
just slides. Yeah, it depends. I have a fair
00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:14.379
amount of surface area. So like the tape sticks
00:15:14.379 --> 00:15:16.620
to itself and the skin. So that's just more stickiness.
00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:19.940
Friends of mine with shorter stumps, if they
00:15:19.940 --> 00:15:21.419
only have like an inch before their elbow, they
00:15:21.419 --> 00:15:22.820
lose tape all the time because there's just not
00:15:22.820 --> 00:15:26.269
enough. surface area uh if it's sweaty or if
00:15:26.269 --> 00:15:28.370
i'm doing a lot of juggy climbs where like my
00:15:28.370 --> 00:15:31.450
stump is spinning behind the hold a bit um like
00:15:31.450 --> 00:15:33.009
especially someplace like the red where you put
00:15:33.009 --> 00:15:35.850
it on something then climb past that can take
00:15:35.850 --> 00:15:37.590
tape right off it's crazy how like sticky this
00:15:37.590 --> 00:15:39.370
tape can be and then at the top of the pitch
00:15:39.370 --> 00:15:43.470
i'm just like oh gosh i have started um this
00:15:43.470 --> 00:15:45.570
spring it actually became a problem i did a red
00:15:45.570 --> 00:15:47.769
trip during it was a little warm and it kind
00:15:47.769 --> 00:15:49.710
of ruined the trip i was like i can't finish
00:15:49.710 --> 00:15:52.149
a pitch without my tape sweating off So I started
00:15:52.149 --> 00:15:54.590
experimenting with different antihydrals and
00:15:54.590 --> 00:15:56.730
like, did you know that pole dancers have their
00:15:56.730 --> 00:15:58.909
own hand cream for grip? Like I've tried that.
00:15:59.809 --> 00:16:03.990
I call it my stripper socks and that works okay.
00:16:04.649 --> 00:16:07.309
But finally I found this just like tough skin
00:16:07.309 --> 00:16:09.929
free spray that is just the best combination
00:16:09.929 --> 00:16:13.429
of it helps the tape stay, but also I can take
00:16:13.429 --> 00:16:16.110
it off without losing chunks of flesh. And it
00:16:16.110 --> 00:16:17.929
doubles great for my knee, for my knee bar pads
00:16:17.929 --> 00:16:21.200
too. Like it's, it's a good product, but. That
00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:22.659
was my big breakthrough this year, technically,
00:16:22.779 --> 00:16:26.820
was just finding how to keep the tape on. Because
00:16:26.820 --> 00:16:30.320
I can, a hard session in the gym, even with the
00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:31.779
spray, I can go through a roll of tape in a day.
00:16:32.019 --> 00:16:34.120
Oh, okay. So you do, like, re -tape throughout
00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:37.500
a session? Yeah. Sometimes I don't have to if
00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:39.200
I'm, like, dry enough or it's cool enough or
00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:42.220
maybe I'm doing mostly crimp. But yeah, big,
00:16:42.340 --> 00:16:44.980
juggy, hot, sweaty sessions. It's a multi -tape
00:16:44.980 --> 00:16:48.700
day. Oh, geez. Okay, good to know. So then thinking
00:16:48.700 --> 00:16:51.720
about climbing at general gyms versus at competitions,
00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:56.299
how is the setting at these competitions? Does
00:16:56.299 --> 00:16:59.919
it feel easier or more ergonomic compared to
00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:03.460
regular gym setting? Not really. I think it's
00:17:03.460 --> 00:17:06.319
just how a normal gym route compares to an able
00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:09.700
-bodied comp route. especially modern comp groups,
00:17:09.779 --> 00:17:11.839
we're seeing those big glass volumes, some like
00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:13.720
weirder movements. You're not just going up.
00:17:13.740 --> 00:17:16.119
You're like having to really interpret data and
00:17:16.119 --> 00:17:18.380
what the route setter's intended. When I started
00:17:18.380 --> 00:17:21.079
para climbing, it was long enough ago that even
00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:22.859
like the Lee and Boulder routes are more straightforward.
00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:25.180
Like they're hard, but they're definitely just
00:17:25.180 --> 00:17:27.700
like hard climbs versus, you know, even lead
00:17:27.700 --> 00:17:30.220
that you see these more gymnastic dynamic movements.
00:17:30.579 --> 00:17:33.160
Para climbing has also changed towards that.
00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:36.640
Oh, okay. Yeah. not as much like it's going to
00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:39.019
be really hard to set a dyno that someone missing
00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:41.359
a left leg or a right leg or above me and below
00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:46.740
me can do equitably um and i will say like para
00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:49.420
climbers all calm climbers like to complain about
00:17:49.420 --> 00:17:50.920
the setting right if it doesn't go their way
00:17:50.920 --> 00:17:55.099
um and with para climbers it's even more of an
00:17:55.099 --> 00:17:57.480
extreme and i try to balance like i could just
00:17:57.480 --> 00:18:00.759
be a better version of myself most times but
00:18:00.759 --> 00:18:04.119
it is an impossible task to set a route where
00:18:04.119 --> 00:18:05.720
someone missing a left hand and a right hand
00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:09.140
have an equal shot and it comes down to their
00:18:09.140 --> 00:18:10.920
skills not what side they're on but it's also
00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:12.579
just functionally impossible to do that without
00:18:12.579 --> 00:18:16.099
making it a boring mirrored ladder climb um but
00:18:16.099 --> 00:18:19.680
i've certainly had competitions where when i
00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:22.700
was competing in this last my first 10 year part
00:18:22.700 --> 00:18:24.619
of comps there's kind of three of us cluster
00:18:24.619 --> 00:18:27.579
at the top all the time um two of us were missing
00:18:27.579 --> 00:18:30.900
our left hands one was missing the right And
00:18:30.900 --> 00:18:32.519
the girl, Selene, missing the right, she was
00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:33.980
always going to beat us. Like, she's so strong.
00:18:34.619 --> 00:18:38.079
But certain comps, like Lucia, who was missing
00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:41.319
your left, like me, we would tie every single
00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:43.019
time with the exact same move. And it was usually
00:18:43.019 --> 00:18:45.140
some big, steep move out to a left crimp that,
00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:46.799
like, we just couldn't reach or we would tap
00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:50.839
it. We couldn't latch onto it. And it's hard
00:18:50.839 --> 00:18:54.440
mentally to, like, it's hard not to despair and
00:18:54.440 --> 00:18:57.160
just be like, it'll never be fair. Why do I even
00:18:57.160 --> 00:18:58.799
bother doing this? Like, it's not showing who
00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:00.359
the best climber is because you put all three
00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:02.380
of us in like a gym setting and we're like way
00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:05.579
closer on regular gym routes or even outside,
00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:10.480
like compared to what we score in comps. But
00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:13.019
at the end of the day, I always talk with my
00:19:13.019 --> 00:19:15.900
coach to be like, did I screw up or is that move
00:19:15.900 --> 00:19:18.200
just impossible for me? And he's pretty honest.
00:19:18.220 --> 00:19:19.700
Sometimes he'll be like, yeah, I just don't think
00:19:19.700 --> 00:19:21.180
there's a world where you could do that move.
00:19:21.619 --> 00:19:24.460
But oftentimes he also says, but also we could
00:19:24.460 --> 00:19:28.950
work towards doing that move. So it's like equal
00:19:28.950 --> 00:19:30.869
parts, holding yourself accountable to being
00:19:30.869 --> 00:19:33.569
better. And then also being able to let go of
00:19:33.569 --> 00:19:35.750
just like, this just wasn't the set. And that
00:19:35.750 --> 00:19:37.569
happens with able -bodied too. Like we see it,
00:19:37.609 --> 00:19:39.150
I think a lot in bouldering where like short
00:19:39.150 --> 00:19:41.390
women versus tall women. And it's just like,
00:19:41.490 --> 00:19:44.190
it's that, but just exponentially more obvious
00:19:44.190 --> 00:19:46.960
with para climbing. I'm really surprised to hear
00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:49.940
that it's that you guys like kind of tie more
00:19:49.940 --> 00:19:52.160
often in like a regular gym setting. I would
00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:54.119
think that with like regular gym setting where
00:19:54.119 --> 00:19:57.220
they're not exactly thinking about setting for
00:19:57.220 --> 00:20:01.519
different bodies, it's like or setting specifically
00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:05.539
for like para climbing bodies that it would be
00:20:05.539 --> 00:20:08.539
like more pronounced the differences. I think
00:20:08.539 --> 00:20:10.700
with gym setting, it's more possible to come
00:20:10.700 --> 00:20:15.250
up with your own beta or like. I was working
00:20:15.250 --> 00:20:17.250
on a climb on the gym this week where, and this
00:20:17.250 --> 00:20:19.490
happens a lot, I've been climbing long enough
00:20:19.490 --> 00:20:22.269
and a lot where I can read a route and see what
00:20:22.269 --> 00:20:24.230
the setter intended. And I'll often get to a
00:20:24.230 --> 00:20:26.150
point where I'm like, do I do the intended beta
00:20:26.150 --> 00:20:30.690
or do I do some weird mo beta? And it's 50 -50.
00:20:30.769 --> 00:20:32.349
Sometimes I choose wrong. And as soon as I get
00:20:32.349 --> 00:20:33.769
back on and do it the other way, I'm like, yep,
00:20:33.789 --> 00:20:35.750
that was actually easy if I just do it that way.
00:20:36.130 --> 00:20:39.809
And so I would say like commercial routes, even
00:20:39.809 --> 00:20:42.190
at harder grades, still have some kind of options.
00:20:43.109 --> 00:20:46.869
Where comp routes are just, they're weird and
00:20:46.869 --> 00:20:48.509
they're hard to practice because our, you know,
00:20:48.509 --> 00:20:50.470
commercial climbing gyms don't set comp routes
00:20:50.470 --> 00:20:55.529
for the most part or use those big volumes. But
00:20:55.529 --> 00:20:57.170
I think it's, yeah, it's the lack of options.
00:20:58.730 --> 00:21:02.609
It's also our routes at comps. I wish we could
00:21:02.609 --> 00:21:05.329
have just an AU2 route, but there's just not
00:21:05.329 --> 00:21:07.710
enough time or surface area for that. So my routes
00:21:07.710 --> 00:21:12.759
are usually shared with an RP or a blind. or
00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:15.740
leg amp so it's not necessarily specifically
00:21:15.740 --> 00:21:18.519
designed with arm amps in mind yeah that makes
00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:21.359
sense yeah i feel like para climbing setters
00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:24.160
have a quite a tough job trying to like it's
00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:26.099
impossible i try to be really careful when i'm
00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:30.619
like what i again everyone's allowed to complain
00:21:30.619 --> 00:21:32.539
especially right after a comp that's why i usually
00:21:32.539 --> 00:21:34.180
don't post about a comp i'm not happy with until
00:21:34.180 --> 00:21:36.059
for a couple days sure yeah that's a good idea
00:21:36.059 --> 00:21:39.200
but it was yeah my last season in 2023 was frustrating
00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:41.619
because there was a world cup where Lucci and
00:21:41.619 --> 00:21:43.700
I both felt the same spot. It was like a move
00:21:43.700 --> 00:21:46.200
to a crimp on a steep fall into the left. And
00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:48.680
I was like, man, I really hope the setters for
00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:50.859
the Burn World Champs see that and learn from
00:21:50.859 --> 00:21:53.400
it. And then she and I both felt and tied again
00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:56.420
at the exact same place, exact same move at the
00:21:56.420 --> 00:21:58.619
World Champs. And that was frustrating because
00:21:58.619 --> 00:22:00.079
I was like, you guys should have watched us just
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:03.569
a couple weeks ago. But at the same time, they
00:22:03.569 --> 00:22:05.750
have the most impossible job out of any setters.
00:22:05.990 --> 00:22:09.150
Yeah, it sounds like the most difficult. Yeah,
00:22:09.190 --> 00:22:11.089
I'm not about to sign up to become a pair setter.
00:22:11.349 --> 00:22:14.069
Yeah. And I guess in general, it seems like the
00:22:14.069 --> 00:22:16.930
vibes are a lot more fun and casual at pair climbing
00:22:16.930 --> 00:22:20.230
competitions. Did you ever feel like pressure
00:22:20.230 --> 00:22:22.690
to perform at them or was it just kind of like
00:22:22.690 --> 00:22:23.890
a fun time? I was going to say, they can be.
00:22:23.930 --> 00:22:26.490
I feel like they've gotten less fun. Not like
00:22:26.490 --> 00:22:30.609
a capital fun, but like it's a real sport. It's
00:22:30.609 --> 00:22:34.009
funny. um you know it's a real sport when all
00:22:34.009 --> 00:22:35.789
of a sudden there's like beef between athletes
00:22:35.789 --> 00:22:39.369
and like so there's some petty drama and it sucks
00:22:39.369 --> 00:22:41.470
for those people but i'm in the background being
00:22:41.470 --> 00:22:43.829
like guys we're both sport now this is great
00:22:43.829 --> 00:22:47.329
yeah uh oh we've arrived people don't like each
00:22:47.329 --> 00:22:50.210
other yeah actually that's even hard to find
00:22:50.210 --> 00:22:52.910
in like able -bodied climbing competition community
00:22:52.910 --> 00:22:55.230
as well i feel like people are too kind still
00:22:55.230 --> 00:22:57.609
well we have some weird stuff where it's like
00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:00.400
Please excuse this brief intermission, but if
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like to unlock over four hours of deleted scenes,
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including one where Mo talks about what USA Climbing
00:23:07.980 --> 00:23:10.859
does right for para climbing and how she makes
00:23:10.859 --> 00:23:13.680
a living being a full -time climber, do consider
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or the ability to submit video questions, and
00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:27.019
more to come. The proceeds go back into the podcast.
00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:29.759
to help me break even, and they help me improve
00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:32.759
the experience of the guests. If you'd like to
00:23:32.759 --> 00:23:34.900
help out non -monetarily, liking, commenting,
00:23:34.980 --> 00:23:38.099
and sharing helps a great deal as well. Back
00:23:38.099 --> 00:23:40.400
to the show. Like the biggest drama I'm aware
00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:43.440
of is someone's like, ooh, that person got misclassed.
00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:46.279
Like they shouldn't be in class. They have this
00:23:46.279 --> 00:23:48.420
that's not right. Like they should be not competing
00:23:48.420 --> 00:23:50.140
against me. And that's actually common across
00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:51.799
para sports. Like the more involved they get
00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:55.170
in the Paralympic level, you hear... that stuff
00:23:55.170 --> 00:23:57.269
all the time like oh he's faking his disability
00:23:57.269 --> 00:24:02.529
or something like that yeah um but again as much
00:24:02.529 --> 00:24:04.309
as that sucks i also take it as a grain of we're
00:24:04.309 --> 00:24:07.250
a real sport with like real people want this
00:24:07.250 --> 00:24:09.910
badly um it's not just a friendly competition
00:24:09.910 --> 00:24:11.789
like it used to be it's still friendly it's still
00:24:11.789 --> 00:24:14.289
above and beyond like you know we're a community
00:24:14.289 --> 00:24:16.829
first but it's still fun it's i remember one
00:24:16.829 --> 00:24:19.869
time i won't say who but a really well -known
00:24:19.869 --> 00:24:22.730
able -bodied climbers mom came up to me i think
00:24:22.730 --> 00:24:24.730
she had a couple chardonnays And was just like,
00:24:24.769 --> 00:24:27.029
Mo, I just love the para climbers because they
00:24:27.029 --> 00:24:28.630
don't care about winning. They just have fun.
00:24:28.809 --> 00:24:30.650
And I was like, ma 'am, I care a whole lot about
00:24:30.650 --> 00:24:35.490
winning. They are fun. I would say like at our
00:24:35.490 --> 00:24:36.890
nationals and locals level, they're definitely
00:24:36.890 --> 00:24:38.569
more fun. But our World Cup and World Champs
00:24:38.569 --> 00:24:40.789
level, it's pretty cutthroat, which is awesome.
00:24:41.029 --> 00:24:45.049
Yeah. Do you like feel pressure to win? 100%.
00:24:45.049 --> 00:24:48.089
Okay. One of the reasons I retired with the asterisk
00:24:48.089 --> 00:24:49.849
coming back when I did was because it's like,
00:24:49.930 --> 00:24:51.970
look, I've never missed an IFSC podium. Let's
00:24:51.970 --> 00:24:54.779
just stop now. And I won all my national, I won
00:24:54.779 --> 00:24:56.420
10 national championships. I was like, cool,
00:24:56.440 --> 00:24:59.519
peace, I'm out. But I don't take on retiring
00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:01.619
lightly because I know those odds, you know,
00:25:01.660 --> 00:25:03.619
the field's bigger and stronger and younger now.
00:25:03.700 --> 00:25:05.920
So I might have to let go of that. Never miss,
00:25:06.059 --> 00:25:09.799
never not won. But it's a good, it's a good thing.
00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:13.059
Was that the main reason for retiring or? It
00:25:13.059 --> 00:25:15.259
wasn't the main, it was just, it was like hitting
00:25:15.259 --> 00:25:19.420
that 10 year mark. I have a really big love for
00:25:19.420 --> 00:25:21.700
alpine climbing. So like outdoor sport climbing
00:25:21.700 --> 00:25:24.200
and comp climbing can overlap a lot. And as far
00:25:24.200 --> 00:25:26.240
as like, well, if I'm from comp fit, then once
00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:27.519
comp season's over, I can get right outside.
00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:31.839
But I have a big love for like alpine expeditions
00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:35.079
and you just cannot do both. And actually, para
00:25:35.079 --> 00:25:37.240
climbing is getting so serious where you might
00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:39.519
have a hard time. Like next summer when I'm full
00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:41.299
World Cup tour, I doubt I'll be able to have
00:25:41.299 --> 00:25:42.940
like a fun trip to Ten Sleep to sport climb.
00:25:43.099 --> 00:25:46.039
It's probably going to be training. Um, so a
00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:48.019
lot of it for me was just, I've done my time.
00:25:48.059 --> 00:25:50.160
It's time to make way for like, let the new generation
00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:54.380
have at it. Um, you know, sometimes I felt like
00:25:54.380 --> 00:25:55.720
I was sticking around just to be a number to
00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:59.059
keep the body count up. Oh, like hair climbing,
00:25:59.140 --> 00:26:00.839
growing, keep our numbers up. And they didn't
00:26:00.839 --> 00:26:03.019
need that anymore. Um, but it was mostly wanting
00:26:03.019 --> 00:26:05.160
to be able to just like let go of the rigid training
00:26:05.160 --> 00:26:07.380
schedule and just focus on outdoor projects,
00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:10.990
both hard projects and Alpine style trips. Um,
00:26:11.089 --> 00:26:13.490
so when I retired, it was with the asterisk of
00:26:13.490 --> 00:26:17.309
unless we get into 2028, because it will be our
00:26:17.309 --> 00:26:20.509
first Paralympics and it's a home games for us.
00:26:20.569 --> 00:26:22.529
And I'm like, that's a, that's a one, two thing.
00:26:22.609 --> 00:26:27.230
I can't say no to. Um, and so we got in, I want
00:26:27.230 --> 00:26:32.130
to say it was like spring 24. Yeah. Spring 24.
00:26:32.130 --> 00:26:33.849
We knew that we got into the Paralympics, but
00:26:33.849 --> 00:26:35.890
we still didn't know which classes got in. That
00:26:35.890 --> 00:26:37.990
wasn't until last spring. They announced that
00:26:37.990 --> 00:26:40.680
women's AU2 was. So that's when it became like,
00:26:40.740 --> 00:26:42.900
cool. There's no more red tape between me and
00:26:42.900 --> 00:26:46.660
making it. I just have to make it now. So I had
00:26:46.660 --> 00:26:50.240
a good two years off of competition. And so this
00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:52.559
year I'll be doing nationals and two world cups.
00:26:53.259 --> 00:26:56.460
I know 2027 is when the qualifiers will be. So
00:26:56.460 --> 00:26:59.259
that's the year to qualify for 28. So that will
00:26:59.259 --> 00:27:02.440
be kind of a heinous schedule. Nationals, five
00:27:02.440 --> 00:27:04.420
or six world cups, world championships, possibly
00:27:04.420 --> 00:27:08.130
a separate QE. Yeah, it's gonna be a lot. Yeah.
00:27:08.309 --> 00:27:10.690
But the reason I quit comps, too, is I'm training
00:27:10.690 --> 00:27:13.089
after nationals and World Cups. But friends of
00:27:13.089 --> 00:27:15.130
mine are going to Potrero. They're like, do you
00:27:15.130 --> 00:27:17.990
want to go? And I have to say, I can't. Yeah.
00:27:18.309 --> 00:27:20.130
So I got sick of saying no to stuff like that.
00:27:20.190 --> 00:27:22.569
And that was another reason to retire. But something
00:27:22.569 --> 00:27:24.349
about the Paralympics, too. It's the one date
00:27:24.349 --> 00:27:29.369
in 2028. And after that, I truly can let go.
00:27:30.049 --> 00:27:32.910
But not be gone. I definitely see myself as some
00:27:32.910 --> 00:27:36.559
kind of team manager. some type of coach or something
00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:39.119
like i'll be around forever for sure yeah it's
00:27:39.119 --> 00:27:41.440
super cool that it has become serious enough
00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:45.099
now where people are kind of um letting go of
00:27:45.099 --> 00:27:47.240
the other stuff that they want to do in order
00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:51.180
to like train for um the competition specifically
00:27:51.180 --> 00:27:54.779
you have to now even through like like in 2016
00:27:54.779 --> 00:27:57.079
when i last won my my second world championships
00:27:57.079 --> 00:28:01.220
um in my head i was training and i was strong
00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:03.259
But looking back, I'm like, that girl would not
00:28:03.259 --> 00:28:06.420
make finals now at all. There's no way. So just
00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:09.460
you, the field has become so strong and so diverse
00:28:09.460 --> 00:28:11.619
that like you really have to, if you want to
00:28:11.619 --> 00:28:14.380
make finals at a World Cup now for my class,
00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:17.420
for AU2, it has to be, you have to be dedicated.
00:28:17.819 --> 00:28:19.799
I guess like what did training look like for
00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:22.119
you at the time? And like, what did you think
00:28:22.119 --> 00:28:24.319
that you were doing wrong? Yeah, back then it
00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:27.799
was just like climbing a lot. You know, and I
00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:29.119
still had a nine to five then. So I would just
00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:30.579
go to the gym like three or four nights a week.
00:28:31.079 --> 00:28:35.920
And just, just climbing a lot, which gets you
00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:38.059
for sure to a certain point, but eventually you
00:28:38.059 --> 00:28:44.660
do plateau. So it wasn't until 20, probably 2022
00:28:44.660 --> 00:28:47.140
that I like really started working with a coach
00:28:47.140 --> 00:28:49.160
to do off the wall training, cross training,
00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:56.890
lifting and stuff like that. And now. Last summer,
00:28:56.910 --> 00:28:58.950
I started a huge training regimen for an outdoor
00:28:58.950 --> 00:29:00.490
project. I'm kind of carrying that through now.
00:29:01.210 --> 00:29:05.829
And I don't know. The people that can climb at
00:29:05.829 --> 00:29:07.750
this level while still holding down a job, let
00:29:07.750 --> 00:29:09.890
alone also having kids, I don't know how they
00:29:09.890 --> 00:29:13.630
do it. I don't know how they do it. Well, I mean,
00:29:13.670 --> 00:29:15.769
who's doing it? It's hard. There's some para
00:29:15.769 --> 00:29:18.130
-climbers who do. Oh, really? Yeah. There's some
00:29:18.130 --> 00:29:19.730
para -climbers who have regular 9 -to -5s and
00:29:19.730 --> 00:29:22.460
kids and compete out of a club. It's insane.
00:29:22.579 --> 00:29:24.200
So that's extra pressure on me, too, because
00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:25.420
it's like, well, I should just win everything,
00:29:25.500 --> 00:29:28.079
right? Because this is my full time job. But
00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:30.880
that's just how good everyone is. Nothing's guaranteed
00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:34.559
anymore. So does that mean that you're also like
00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:37.140
coming up with a schedule of like doing Paraworld
00:29:37.140 --> 00:29:39.740
Cups again as like competition practice? Yeah,
00:29:39.819 --> 00:29:42.960
this year I'm doing two. um world cups just to
00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:44.900
kind of again dip the toe back in there's five
00:29:44.900 --> 00:29:47.099
total this year um which is incredible i think
00:29:47.099 --> 00:29:49.279
that's the most we've ever had they added they
00:29:49.279 --> 00:29:51.339
added laval france last year so that's coming
00:29:51.339 --> 00:29:54.119
back um salt lake and innsbruck are are they
00:29:54.119 --> 00:29:56.079
happen every year they're the anchors of before
00:29:56.079 --> 00:29:58.720
uh and then this year they added a japan and
00:29:58.720 --> 00:30:01.200
a south korea world cup um cool i'm not gonna
00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:04.079
do those i'm just gonna do salt lake and brook
00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:06.799
um salt lake's practically local innsbruck i've
00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:09.250
been there a bunch so it's like the easiest like
00:30:09.250 --> 00:30:11.650
mentally to just i know the gym i know the town
00:30:11.650 --> 00:30:15.150
yeah let's just go um and i love doing that one
00:30:15.150 --> 00:30:16.990
because if that's the end of my comp season then
00:30:16.990 --> 00:30:18.289
i can stay for a couple extra weeks and climb
00:30:18.289 --> 00:30:23.930
outside oh nice um but next year i i have a hunch
00:30:23.930 --> 00:30:25.910
next year is going to be and i will do the full
00:30:25.910 --> 00:30:28.089
tour next year um it will be five or six world
00:30:28.089 --> 00:30:31.849
cups plus the world championships in spania did
00:30:31.849 --> 00:30:35.170
they already put that out 2027. Yeah, world champs.
00:30:35.170 --> 00:30:37.410
Oh, okay. I should know. I'm totally blanking.
00:30:38.430 --> 00:30:41.289
They added one next year, Para World Cup in Manchester,
00:30:41.430 --> 00:30:43.049
UK as well, which I'm really excited for. So
00:30:43.049 --> 00:30:46.089
it's really amazing to see, you know, Innsbruck
00:30:46.089 --> 00:30:47.829
and Salt Lake have been the para climbing anchors
00:30:47.829 --> 00:30:49.990
for so long. And it's really great to see other
00:30:49.990 --> 00:30:52.710
federations stepping up and saying, oh, we believe
00:30:52.710 --> 00:30:55.549
in para. We're going to put resources into hosting
00:30:55.549 --> 00:30:57.750
world level competitions in our countries. Do
00:30:57.750 --> 00:31:00.509
you already know what the qualification process
00:31:00.509 --> 00:31:04.660
will look like for? We don't. So we know that
00:31:04.660 --> 00:31:08.900
there should be 10 spots per class for the Paralympics.
00:31:08.900 --> 00:31:11.920
So there should be 10 of me. However, I've heard
00:31:11.920 --> 00:31:14.200
there's some wiggle room where like, like my
00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:16.240
class should get 10 because we're very large.
00:31:16.839 --> 00:31:18.900
But, you know, there's talk of, oh, well, if
00:31:18.900 --> 00:31:20.640
this class is smaller, maybe this one should
00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:22.779
be 12 spots and that one could be eight spots.
00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:26.720
We don't know how many countries per class can
00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:29.430
go or will just be like six. country six spots
00:31:29.430 --> 00:31:31.309
per country overall but you know like we just
00:31:31.309 --> 00:31:34.269
we just don't know how that will work um and
00:31:34.269 --> 00:31:36.529
i just can't and we don't know we i can assume
00:31:36.529 --> 00:31:39.250
that the 27 world champs will give away some
00:31:39.250 --> 00:31:41.690
spots like the able -bodied world champs do well
00:31:41.690 --> 00:31:44.289
we don't know um we don't know if the other spots
00:31:44.289 --> 00:31:46.190
would come from your world ranking or if there's
00:31:46.190 --> 00:31:48.450
going to be a standalone qe we just don't know
00:31:48.450 --> 00:31:51.630
so rather than dwell on that i'm just telling
00:31:51.630 --> 00:31:54.589
myself if i'm the best version i can be it'll
00:31:54.589 --> 00:31:57.069
work out i'll make it yeah you just kind of have
00:31:57.069 --> 00:31:59.589
to prepare for anything yeah i do really hope
00:31:59.589 --> 00:32:02.829
that it stays 10 for class and i keep it as simple
00:32:02.829 --> 00:32:06.890
two per country per class um because one of my
00:32:06.890 --> 00:32:08.869
best friends here is in my class and i'm just
00:32:08.869 --> 00:32:10.690
like i don't want to have to like worry about
00:32:10.690 --> 00:32:15.099
beating you until la like let's just like stay
00:32:15.099 --> 00:32:17.799
friendly super friendly and then you know sabotage
00:32:17.799 --> 00:32:19.940
each other just once versus the whole time okay
00:32:19.940 --> 00:32:23.880
yeah do you like feel more pressure now that
00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:27.279
it's in the Paralympics or like do you feel I
00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:29.539
know like yeah it's a pretty big thing to declare
00:32:29.539 --> 00:32:33.539
yeah like I was pressing post on that Instagram
00:32:33.539 --> 00:32:36.799
post that says I'm back and I'm going to 2028
00:32:36.799 --> 00:32:38.819
I'm like well saying that publicly that's a big
00:32:38.819 --> 00:32:41.549
declaration now I have to do it And I do think
00:32:41.549 --> 00:32:42.990
people understand if something happens where
00:32:42.990 --> 00:32:46.930
I don't make it. But it really holds me accountable
00:32:46.930 --> 00:32:51.890
to do my best to make it. And then as of right
00:32:51.890 --> 00:32:55.609
now, I just I have those goals that I can't even
00:32:55.609 --> 00:32:58.630
think about my performance right now in 28. I'm
00:32:58.630 --> 00:33:02.289
just trying to see how this year goes. I think
00:33:02.289 --> 00:33:03.910
I'll get overwhelmed if I start thinking like.
00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:06.039
I'm going for a podium. I'm going for goal. I
00:33:06.039 --> 00:33:07.500
think I just need to slow down and be like, okay,
00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:11.000
let's just focus on this next six months. I know
00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:13.839
I've heard in able -bodied climbing competitions
00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:18.119
that inclusion into the olympics has maybe kind
00:33:18.119 --> 00:33:20.259
of like changed the camaraderie aspect a little
00:33:20.259 --> 00:33:22.440
bit like there's a little bit more competition
00:33:22.440 --> 00:33:24.920
going on behind the scenes or maybe it like changed
00:33:24.920 --> 00:33:26.900
people's relationships with climbing a little
00:33:26.900 --> 00:33:29.740
bit do you feel like that announcement has changed
00:33:29.740 --> 00:33:31.900
anything within the para climbing community of
00:33:31.900 --> 00:33:34.920
like more interest bigger teams more competition
00:33:34.920 --> 00:33:37.900
like people not being as friendly i don't think
00:33:37.900 --> 00:33:41.160
friendly is the thing i think i mean tbd right
00:33:41.160 --> 00:33:43.920
it's our first we're not there yet um but as
00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:47.220
far as interest goes yeah last Last Nationals,
00:33:47.220 --> 00:33:49.819
I commentated for, which I have to say is way
00:33:49.819 --> 00:33:51.619
more fun, but just as stressful as competing.
00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:56.119
For sure, yeah. And we definitely had some new
00:33:56.119 --> 00:33:58.440
people show up. And by then, we didn't know who
00:33:58.440 --> 00:33:59.859
was going to get through class -wise, but we
00:33:59.859 --> 00:34:01.519
knew we were going to be in 28. And we had some
00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:03.819
Paralympic swimmers showing up to try their hand
00:34:03.819 --> 00:34:06.759
at rock climbing. Oh, really? Cool. Sports. Uh,
00:34:06.859 --> 00:34:09.440
sport shopping is pretty popular in para sports.
00:34:09.719 --> 00:34:13.239
Um, that's funny. Yeah. It's, Oh, I've thought
00:34:13.239 --> 00:34:14.739
about it too. I'm just like, Oh, I like Nordic
00:34:14.739 --> 00:34:16.500
skiing. Maybe I should be a double, double season
00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:20.119
Carolina athlete. Um, but yeah, so we've definitely
00:34:20.119 --> 00:34:22.239
seen some other high performing athletes appear
00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:26.300
on the climbing scene. Um, I have a hunch in
00:34:26.300 --> 00:34:28.380
Houston. We'll see even more like the buzz just
00:34:28.380 --> 00:34:30.880
is going to keep building as we get to 28 on
00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:34.650
the world stage. It's almost, I don't know. to
00:34:34.650 --> 00:34:37.809
say the opposite but um usac again i like how
00:34:37.809 --> 00:34:40.269
they do it we have if you place first or second
00:34:40.269 --> 00:34:41.730
you make a national team and you get support
00:34:41.730 --> 00:34:44.969
um but the ifsc gives us like four spots per
00:34:44.969 --> 00:34:48.110
class and so usac's approach is you're not going
00:34:48.110 --> 00:34:49.550
to get cash from us you're not going to get support
00:34:49.550 --> 00:34:51.610
from us but if you want to pay your own way here's
00:34:51.610 --> 00:34:53.289
your here's your bib here's your t -shirt like
00:34:53.289 --> 00:34:55.969
you can compete uh and that actually helped grow
00:34:55.969 --> 00:34:58.230
the sport more because that was just bodies to
00:34:58.230 --> 00:35:00.389
let classes run because there are minimum requirements
00:35:00.389 --> 00:35:03.320
like there has to be four countries Or five countries
00:35:03.320 --> 00:35:04.920
and four people or six countries and five people
00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:07.119
for world champs. And that category just gets
00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:09.800
canceled if it doesn't happen. So I think we
00:35:09.800 --> 00:35:11.480
sent a lot of people to comps that maybe weren't
00:35:11.480 --> 00:35:13.639
ready yet, but were just like, go, do it. And
00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:17.579
I think we're still doing that. Other countries,
00:35:17.579 --> 00:35:19.820
though, now that it's Paralympic, are actually
00:35:19.820 --> 00:35:21.500
kind of shrinking their teams, where they only
00:35:21.500 --> 00:35:23.559
want to send people that are probably going to
00:35:23.559 --> 00:35:26.500
make finals or have to do so well. So this past
00:35:26.500 --> 00:35:29.420
year was a lot of people's last chance to like
00:35:29.420 --> 00:35:31.699
do so well in the world stage. And a lot of folks
00:35:31.699 --> 00:35:34.559
have been around from like the German team. We've
00:35:34.559 --> 00:35:37.860
been around for years are no longer coming because
00:35:37.860 --> 00:35:39.800
they just don't have part of their country and
00:35:39.800 --> 00:35:41.840
they're not allowed to go without. So I still
00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:44.360
like it means we have a really big team. which
00:35:44.360 --> 00:35:47.400
still takes up some bandwidth. But I really think
00:35:47.400 --> 00:35:49.719
it's good for the sport that we are sending anybody
00:35:49.719 --> 00:35:52.059
who's willing to pay their way. It's interesting
00:35:52.059 --> 00:35:55.719
also that you called it like sport shopping for
00:35:55.719 --> 00:35:57.800
the Paralympics. That's a new term for me too,
00:35:57.920 --> 00:36:00.900
yeah. Because one of my teammates on Team USA,
00:36:01.139 --> 00:36:05.139
he also is a competitive paracyclist. And he's
00:36:05.139 --> 00:36:08.119
like, oh yeah, yeah. Like once you're an athletic
00:36:08.119 --> 00:36:11.539
para -human. You kind of want to pop around and
00:36:11.539 --> 00:36:13.820
experiment to see which sport you're best at
00:36:13.820 --> 00:36:17.039
that gives you the best shot at making the Paralympics.
00:36:17.380 --> 00:36:19.320
That's a lot of people's goal is just to make
00:36:19.320 --> 00:36:22.159
the Paralympics. And para sport is still relatively
00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:25.659
small compared to like. I think climbing will
00:36:25.659 --> 00:36:27.940
be a harder sport to sort of walk on and like
00:36:27.940 --> 00:36:29.539
make the team. Yeah, I'm wondering, like, how
00:36:29.539 --> 00:36:32.440
has that gone? It's so funny. Last year, we had
00:36:32.440 --> 00:36:35.260
some very muscular athletes show up like, again,
00:36:35.300 --> 00:36:38.219
those para swimmers, para other sports. But climbing
00:36:38.219 --> 00:36:41.409
is such a technique. thing that like i do think
00:36:41.409 --> 00:36:44.730
we're not likely to see too too many dark horses
00:36:44.730 --> 00:36:47.590
just show up out of nowhere and crush uh it's
00:36:47.590 --> 00:36:49.730
more likely to just be some climber we had never
00:36:49.730 --> 00:36:51.510
heard of than someone coming from another sport
00:36:51.510 --> 00:36:54.389
yeah that makes sense um but yeah one of my friends
00:36:54.389 --> 00:36:56.289
so the sad thing about this paralympics is not
00:36:56.289 --> 00:36:59.929
all sport classes got through um only only four
00:36:59.929 --> 00:37:02.409
per gender got through so i have friends who
00:37:02.409 --> 00:37:05.239
didn't get through but have since turned around
00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:06.760
and now they're trying swimming and track and
00:37:06.760 --> 00:37:10.360
field and rowing because those classes that they
00:37:10.360 --> 00:37:12.820
would class for and those sports are in the parallel
00:37:12.820 --> 00:37:14.900
and they're just like i just want to go man and
00:37:14.900 --> 00:37:16.980
i'm like you know what i respect the hustle yeah
00:37:16.980 --> 00:37:19.860
we we all want that super ugly opening ceremonies
00:37:19.860 --> 00:37:23.360
uniform to rock is that ugly i didn't see it
00:37:23.360 --> 00:37:25.940
i know i don't know i haven't seen 28th uh but
00:37:25.940 --> 00:37:27.280
i just feel like historically they're kind of
00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:29.500
like over the top no i've seen some really good
00:37:29.500 --> 00:37:31.320
ones though i feel like in the past i hope it's
00:37:31.320 --> 00:37:35.760
a cowboy hat We'll see. Yeah, we'll see. I feel
00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:38.840
like if I were a para climber, I'd be like, yeah,
00:37:38.940 --> 00:37:40.820
I'd be like kind of pissed if someone came from
00:37:40.820 --> 00:37:42.820
another sport and I'd be like, I spent so much
00:37:42.820 --> 00:37:44.500
time training just for climbing. Yeah, I'm just
00:37:44.500 --> 00:37:46.039
going to come from another sport. Like I said,
00:37:46.119 --> 00:37:48.139
I think I think climbing is I think the only
00:37:48.139 --> 00:37:50.260
dark horses will just be other climbers who have
00:37:50.260 --> 00:37:52.639
just been like quietly climbing outside. No one's
00:37:52.639 --> 00:37:54.719
really heard of them. And then just like, boom,
00:37:54.780 --> 00:37:58.320
they decide to show up, which is cool. But yeah,
00:37:58.380 --> 00:38:00.780
I don't think we're as likely to see other. pair
00:38:00.780 --> 00:38:02.480
of athletes from other sports kind of swooping
00:38:02.480 --> 00:38:04.719
because it's just there's so much technique and
00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:06.480
root reading and like so much that's not just
00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:09.460
muscles thankfully yeah yeah that's what i tell
00:38:09.460 --> 00:38:13.599
myself yeah exactly anyone mentioned that yeah
00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:16.780
some sports classes didn't get into the paralympics
00:38:16.780 --> 00:38:20.300
for climbing were there any like surprises or
00:38:20.300 --> 00:38:23.000
feelings surrounding that well and again we hope
00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:25.440
that we hope it's like able -bodied where tokyo
00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:27.000
they got the one medal and then paris they got
00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:30.519
two and now they're gonna have all three So I'm
00:38:30.519 --> 00:38:31.940
really hoping that we're going to knock the socks
00:38:31.940 --> 00:38:34.559
off in 28. And then by 2032, they're like, OK,
00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:37.159
here's eight medals. And then by 2036, maybe
00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:40.320
it's OK. Every all 11 or 12 classes, may I count
00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:42.300
it, are through. I guess, like, first, can you
00:38:42.300 --> 00:38:45.880
give an overview of which ones got in? So it
00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:49.800
is AU2, which is my class for men and women.
00:38:50.500 --> 00:38:52.559
AL2, which is leg amputee for men and women.
00:38:53.699 --> 00:38:56.400
RP1. RP is you have all your body parts that
00:38:56.400 --> 00:38:58.159
just don't work right, whether it's from an injury.
00:38:58.889 --> 00:39:01.789
Or you have some kind of nerve condition or something.
00:39:02.130 --> 00:39:04.969
They just don't work right. And RP1 is the most
00:39:04.969 --> 00:39:07.849
disabled of those. RP2 and RP3 is progressively
00:39:07.849 --> 00:39:10.710
more abled. Sometimes RP3s, if you see them walking,
00:39:10.849 --> 00:39:12.730
you're like, you're not disabled. But they are.
00:39:13.369 --> 00:39:16.250
So RP1 got through for that. And then for the
00:39:16.250 --> 00:39:18.309
blind category, they ended up doing a split where
00:39:18.309 --> 00:39:22.110
it's men's B1, which is totally blind, and women's
00:39:22.110 --> 00:39:26.510
B2, which is in the middle of sighted. My friend
00:39:26.510 --> 00:39:28.409
Sineda, she's the world championship. She's B2.
00:39:28.829 --> 00:39:32.309
She absolutely cannot drive and can walk into
00:39:32.309 --> 00:39:35.590
road signs sometimes. But she still can see some
00:39:35.590 --> 00:39:37.710
things when she climbs. And I think they split
00:39:37.710 --> 00:39:39.909
that one just because of numbers. Like there
00:39:39.909 --> 00:39:42.650
weren't a lot of women B1. So they want to keep
00:39:42.650 --> 00:39:46.019
the field competitive. And I guess I don't want
00:39:46.019 --> 00:39:48.179
to make you have to like speak for all of para
00:39:48.179 --> 00:39:52.440
climbing, but just like the general idea of like
00:39:52.440 --> 00:39:56.139
what the what the talk has been around, what
00:39:56.139 --> 00:39:58.179
sports classes were included, like was were there
00:39:58.179 --> 00:40:00.360
harsh feelings or was it kind of like understood?
00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:03.820
A little bit of everything. I think the only
00:40:03.820 --> 00:40:07.800
surprise for me was AL1 not getting through,
00:40:07.880 --> 00:40:11.460
which is the kind of the seated wheelchair, because
00:40:11.460 --> 00:40:15.710
Angelina Zeller's. He is one of like probably
00:40:15.710 --> 00:40:17.349
the most well -known para -athletes because he
00:40:17.349 --> 00:40:20.070
just campuses 513. He is paralyzed from, I think,
00:40:20.070 --> 00:40:23.329
a paragliding accident and just wins everything,
00:40:23.670 --> 00:40:26.429
campuses everything. It's insane. And it's so
00:40:26.429 --> 00:40:29.409
visually stunning to watch. But they didn't make
00:40:29.409 --> 00:40:31.670
it through because there's practically no women,
00:40:31.829 --> 00:40:37.280
is my theory. But also it could be that in the
00:40:37.280 --> 00:40:41.340
A class, the AL lower, AL2 did get through. So
00:40:41.340 --> 00:40:43.800
they'd rather have someone from RP, visually
00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:47.219
impaired, upper and lower. But I just, man, I
00:40:47.219 --> 00:40:49.179
was really hoping we would get five medals because
00:40:49.179 --> 00:40:51.420
AL, I think, would have been. But we do need
00:40:51.420 --> 00:40:55.420
more women. Right now, they are the only class
00:40:55.420 --> 00:40:57.760
around where if there's not enough women, the
00:40:57.760 --> 00:40:59.880
women merge into men's and it becomes a co -ed
00:40:59.880 --> 00:41:02.949
class. Which is really cool because Pavitra is
00:41:02.949 --> 00:41:05.449
a Belgian climber and she podiums with the men.
00:41:05.610 --> 00:41:08.949
And it's so cool to see such a beast. Wow. Yeah,
00:41:09.010 --> 00:41:11.750
the merging gets so complicated. It is really
00:41:11.750 --> 00:41:13.469
hard to keep up. They kind of stopped. Yeah,
00:41:13.469 --> 00:41:15.829
they kind of stopped. They started merging when
00:41:15.829 --> 00:41:18.449
they started enforcing the minimums. But then
00:41:18.449 --> 00:41:21.250
as it became Paralympic, you can't merge for
00:41:21.250 --> 00:41:23.190
Paralympics. It's just kind of frowned upon.
00:41:23.610 --> 00:41:28.349
And so now it's... And the sport has grown enough
00:41:28.349 --> 00:41:31.750
where it's... last comments not hit those minimum
00:41:31.750 --> 00:41:34.650
numbers now so they pretty much have done away
00:41:34.650 --> 00:41:38.869
with merging um except for al because they still
00:41:38.869 --> 00:41:41.349
really want to grow that sport merging was funny
00:41:41.349 --> 00:41:44.949
though like i won my last world cup when there
00:41:44.949 --> 00:41:47.329
wasn't enough au2 and so you always merge into
00:41:47.329 --> 00:41:50.409
a more difficult class and so on paper i should
00:41:50.409 --> 00:41:52.750
not have done well and but finals ended up being
00:41:52.750 --> 00:41:54.869
some kind of vert slab thing so i ended up winning
00:41:54.869 --> 00:41:58.920
and so for the paralympics like angelino can't
00:41:58.920 --> 00:42:02.519
um go into the al2 category sadly no i still
00:42:02.519 --> 00:42:05.840
hope that um i mean it'd be so cool especially
00:42:05.840 --> 00:42:07.380
because climbing doesn't have to share the venue
00:42:07.380 --> 00:42:08.760
with other sports right it's not like track and
00:42:08.760 --> 00:42:12.139
field where it's busy i really would love it
00:42:12.139 --> 00:42:13.840
if they could do some kind of exhibition while
00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:15.880
we're there like let the other class behind and
00:42:15.880 --> 00:42:19.099
touch that wall but especially al because what
00:42:19.099 --> 00:42:21.559
a wild class OK, that'll be interesting to see.
00:42:22.280 --> 00:42:25.300
And so how are you changing going back to like
00:42:25.300 --> 00:42:27.440
your training process? How are you changing your
00:42:27.440 --> 00:42:30.719
training this time to qualify? Yeah, it's it's
00:42:30.719 --> 00:42:32.860
I started training specifically more for outdoors
00:42:32.860 --> 00:42:35.539
and I found myself getting kind of sick, strong
00:42:35.539 --> 00:42:38.280
all over. And I'm like, well, I'm still going
00:42:38.280 --> 00:42:40.260
to do comp specific training as far as movement
00:42:40.260 --> 00:42:41.880
goes. Like I'm actually heading to Salt Lake
00:42:41.880 --> 00:42:43.980
for next week to train at the National Training
00:42:43.980 --> 00:42:46.340
Center and work with their coaches on like those
00:42:46.340 --> 00:42:51.150
movements. But overall, my training now has shifted
00:42:51.150 --> 00:42:53.489
to really like strength and power. I used to
00:42:53.489 --> 00:42:55.449
be such a fan of endurance because it's fun to
00:42:55.449 --> 00:42:57.949
get your endurance up. But, you know, with the
00:42:57.949 --> 00:42:59.849
way the route settings change and the competition
00:42:59.849 --> 00:43:02.489
has changed, I'm never pumping off clients anymore.
00:43:02.590 --> 00:43:04.769
I'm falling because it's a power that I can't
00:43:04.769 --> 00:43:07.090
do. Or if there's like a movement that I can't
00:43:07.090 --> 00:43:09.750
do, I'm never just like, it's not like the Red
00:43:09.750 --> 00:43:11.429
River Gorge where you fall off of huge jugs because
00:43:11.429 --> 00:43:12.730
you're pumped. That's not what's happening at
00:43:12.730 --> 00:43:15.110
comps anymore. And then I've also found some
00:43:15.110 --> 00:43:21.039
39 now. which is, but, um, strength training
00:43:21.039 --> 00:43:24.659
is playing into that. The I've, and I've even
00:43:24.659 --> 00:43:27.539
shifted from like the, I used to do a ton of
00:43:27.539 --> 00:43:29.239
orange theory, like lightweights, low reps and
00:43:29.239 --> 00:43:31.199
stuff and love that cardio. And then just the
00:43:31.199 --> 00:43:33.380
past couple of months, I quit that. I'm trying
00:43:33.380 --> 00:43:35.420
to lift heavy. Like I'm squatting, I'm dead lifting.
00:43:35.559 --> 00:43:38.239
I'm like bench press and I've never been healthier.
00:43:38.420 --> 00:43:40.980
Like outside of an acute injury that I gave myself
00:43:40.980 --> 00:43:43.820
this fall, like everything feels great and I
00:43:43.820 --> 00:43:47.820
feel strong. I'm hungry all the time, but all
00:43:47.820 --> 00:43:50.099
of a sudden I'm doing these moves in the wall
00:43:50.099 --> 00:43:51.659
that I look at it and I'm like, oh, it's going
00:43:51.659 --> 00:43:54.159
to be so hard. And then I just do it. And I think,
00:43:54.159 --> 00:43:58.500
whoa, that was actually not that bad. But it
00:43:58.500 --> 00:44:00.300
is. Yeah, I do think I'm having also just like
00:44:00.300 --> 00:44:02.679
this age body shift where I can't train like
00:44:02.679 --> 00:44:04.800
I was when I was 25. I take more rest days now
00:44:04.800 --> 00:44:09.320
or I should at least. and it's just you know
00:44:09.320 --> 00:44:11.500
as you get older your body responds to rest better
00:44:11.500 --> 00:44:12.900
like not only do you not need them when you're
00:44:12.900 --> 00:44:15.539
younger but it's like easier to detrain when
00:44:15.539 --> 00:44:16.960
you're younger but when you're older your body
00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:19.719
has this memory now and like more rest days can
00:44:19.719 --> 00:44:22.099
be more beneficial in your late 30s than it would
00:44:22.099 --> 00:44:24.219
have been in your mid -20s was that just something
00:44:24.219 --> 00:44:26.199
you felt like gradually happened or was there
00:44:26.199 --> 00:44:28.599
like a moment or like an injury or something
00:44:28.599 --> 00:44:30.679
where you know i never felt like i was slowly
00:44:30.679 --> 00:44:34.539
starting to suck more um but when i when i had
00:44:34.539 --> 00:44:36.880
this shift in training i felt myself improving
00:44:36.880 --> 00:44:39.119
all of a sudden in a way that i haven't had that
00:44:39.119 --> 00:44:41.579
kind of plateau breakthrough in a very long time
00:44:41.579 --> 00:44:43.659
um and i think the breakthrough is still happening
00:44:43.659 --> 00:44:46.579
like i am this wasn't intentional but i think
00:44:46.579 --> 00:44:48.079
it's gonna be really cool to come back to comps
00:44:48.079 --> 00:44:50.119
in the best ship i've ever been um like there
00:44:50.119 --> 00:44:51.940
is a yeah it's part of me it's just like these
00:44:51.940 --> 00:44:53.139
girls don't know it's coming like you're thinking
00:44:53.139 --> 00:44:54.820
oh she hasn't been climbing for two years has
00:44:54.820 --> 00:44:57.619
been competing like in my first year after comps
00:44:57.619 --> 00:45:00.179
i like for sure mostly alpine climbed put on
00:45:00.179 --> 00:45:03.610
some helpful weight i had a blast um But it's
00:45:03.610 --> 00:45:05.630
been really fun to just like dial it back in
00:45:05.630 --> 00:45:08.090
and discover that I haven't peaked yet, which
00:45:08.090 --> 00:45:11.650
is really cool. And going back to you like doing
00:45:11.650 --> 00:45:14.650
training at the National Training Center, do
00:45:14.650 --> 00:45:18.170
they hold stuff for para climbers often or what
00:45:18.170 --> 00:45:21.010
does that look like? One of the most transformational
00:45:21.010 --> 00:45:22.989
things to happen with becoming Paralympic is
00:45:22.989 --> 00:45:27.269
USAC now has USOPC, which is so many acronyms.
00:45:27.800 --> 00:45:30.900
has funding um specifically for para and that
00:45:30.900 --> 00:45:32.719
kind of opened up once those four classes got
00:45:32.719 --> 00:45:35.079
named because usopc was like yeah you don't really
00:45:35.079 --> 00:45:36.719
know who's going yet like we can't really like
00:45:36.719 --> 00:45:39.139
um but now that we know the four like we know
00:45:39.139 --> 00:45:40.760
that those four are supported so we now have
00:45:40.760 --> 00:45:44.679
a full -time para specific coach based in salt
00:45:44.679 --> 00:45:48.340
lake um which is great because i he's i met him
00:45:48.340 --> 00:45:51.380
10 12 years ago in colorado where he was my personal
00:45:51.380 --> 00:45:54.400
coach um so i've known him for a long time Um,
00:45:54.599 --> 00:45:58.239
but for him to have this facility where he can
00:45:58.239 --> 00:46:00.539
just be like, okay, just set you something, try
00:46:00.539 --> 00:46:02.820
this move. Like that's something I can't do at
00:46:02.820 --> 00:46:06.059
any other, any other gym really. And like my
00:46:06.059 --> 00:46:08.159
home gym here is fantastic. Like I'll send them
00:46:08.159 --> 00:46:10.780
videos and they'll set stuff for me, but it's,
00:46:10.780 --> 00:46:12.360
it's something else to be at the national training
00:46:12.360 --> 00:46:15.260
center and just have this. Um, and it's a, it's
00:46:15.260 --> 00:46:18.400
a newer training center for them. Um, and it's
00:46:18.400 --> 00:46:20.199
just, it looks so cool. Like there's ropes now
00:46:20.199 --> 00:46:23.440
and I used to not be ropes. And then Salt Lake's
00:46:23.440 --> 00:46:24.900
just such a great spot. There's so many great
00:46:24.900 --> 00:46:26.840
gyms there that, you know, you don't have to
00:46:26.840 --> 00:46:30.099
be in the training center to go train. I love,
00:46:30.320 --> 00:46:32.800
it's such a privilege, but I love traveling to
00:46:32.800 --> 00:46:34.699
train. Like I have all the resources here that
00:46:34.699 --> 00:46:36.960
I need, but when you're home, it's so easy to
00:46:36.960 --> 00:46:39.019
be like, oh, I have to do laundry today or like
00:46:39.019 --> 00:46:41.199
get distracted. But like when I'm in Salt Lake,
00:46:41.260 --> 00:46:43.840
it's my job. That is my job is to be there and
00:46:43.840 --> 00:46:46.340
train. And that's, it's really helpful. That
00:46:46.340 --> 00:46:48.800
sounds super exciting. One of the audience questions
00:46:48.800 --> 00:46:53.579
that come in was from one Megan one exorcism
00:46:53.579 --> 00:46:57.440
on Instagram feelings about going to nationals
00:46:57.440 --> 00:47:00.480
this year. Is this the time to qualify? What
00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:03.099
does the process look like? Yeah, well, it's
00:47:03.099 --> 00:47:05.760
like so we still don't know how to qualify for
00:47:05.760 --> 00:47:08.400
the Olympics yet Paralympics, but I am extremely
00:47:08.400 --> 00:47:09.860
skeptical that this year will matter at all.
00:47:09.960 --> 00:47:12.260
I think it's too early, like just given how other
00:47:12.260 --> 00:47:14.840
sports work and even how climbing works like.
00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:17.980
No one on bouldering is qualifying for the LA
00:47:17.980 --> 00:47:21.039
games this year. So I'm treating this year as
00:47:21.039 --> 00:47:25.679
a warmup tune up year. Again, see where I'm at,
00:47:25.780 --> 00:47:28.460
except that I might lose those records of only
00:47:28.460 --> 00:47:30.460
winning nationals and never missing a podium.
00:47:30.519 --> 00:47:33.159
It's very possible. See where I'm at. Keep it
00:47:33.159 --> 00:47:37.320
fun. Knowing that 2027 is going to be like the
00:47:37.320 --> 00:47:40.340
most intense, punishing, mentally challenging.
00:47:40.739 --> 00:47:46.469
My poor husband is a saint. And but I am nervous
00:47:46.469 --> 00:47:50.010
for nationals because I know Ellie and Isabel,
00:47:50.150 --> 00:47:52.250
like the two women who podium around me there,
00:47:52.369 --> 00:47:55.090
have been competing for the last two years straight
00:47:55.090 --> 00:47:58.369
and are only getting stronger. You know, it's
00:47:58.369 --> 00:48:00.309
both an asset to have been around a while, but
00:48:00.309 --> 00:48:03.550
it's also like the levels I could the micro bits
00:48:03.550 --> 00:48:07.219
I have left to improve. um are smaller whereas
00:48:07.219 --> 00:48:09.119
when you're a newer climber and younger like
00:48:09.119 --> 00:48:10.739
you can make these huge leaps of improvements
00:48:10.739 --> 00:48:12.820
that said i did just say i feel like i'm in the
00:48:12.820 --> 00:48:15.659
midst of a huge leap so that's cool and also
00:48:15.659 --> 00:48:19.199
the technique that you gain after like many years
00:48:19.199 --> 00:48:22.579
of climbing yeah and i wish i could say i like
00:48:22.579 --> 00:48:24.880
have iso and the nurse for comps figured out
00:48:24.880 --> 00:48:28.019
but i don't i don't think that it does that iso
00:48:28.019 --> 00:48:30.440
will always suck for everybody it's just it is
00:48:30.440 --> 00:48:34.130
what it is um The Nationals is tricky for me
00:48:34.130 --> 00:48:37.130
because I try to balance being social as well.
00:48:37.210 --> 00:48:40.050
I want to meet all the new people. I kind of
00:48:40.050 --> 00:48:41.730
miss the days where you did know everybody because
00:48:41.730 --> 00:48:43.349
it was small enough. And now I'm just like, I
00:48:43.349 --> 00:48:44.570
don't know who these people are. And I want to
00:48:44.570 --> 00:48:47.329
know them while also still taking space for myself
00:48:47.329 --> 00:48:49.170
being like, I'm here to be an athlete and do
00:48:49.170 --> 00:48:51.670
a job. That's a really hard thing for me to balance
00:48:51.670 --> 00:48:55.289
at most comps. But Nationals will be great this
00:48:55.289 --> 00:48:58.929
year. I think this will be our first real year
00:48:58.929 --> 00:49:01.530
of reviewing who could be making up our Paralympic
00:49:01.530 --> 00:49:04.960
team. Okay. Yeah. That'll be cool to see. So
00:49:04.960 --> 00:49:06.980
you said like after all these years, you still
00:49:06.980 --> 00:49:08.760
don't know how to, I guess, like break their
00:49:08.760 --> 00:49:11.400
nerves of comps. Yeah. I mean, that's another
00:49:11.400 --> 00:49:13.420
reason I quit is because I would be like in ISO.
00:49:14.639 --> 00:49:17.440
And my friends have joked like, oh, poor you.
00:49:17.539 --> 00:49:19.059
You're always in ISO because you always make
00:49:19.059 --> 00:49:21.079
finals. But I'm just like, yeah. And it just
00:49:21.079 --> 00:49:23.980
like every time back there, I'm nauseous. I don't
00:49:23.980 --> 00:49:26.440
have an appetite. I'm just like, why? Why do
00:49:26.440 --> 00:49:29.380
I do this? Like comps aren't fun. And then once
00:49:29.380 --> 00:49:32.559
it's over, you just. Maybe that's why I also
00:49:32.559 --> 00:49:34.360
like alpine climbing because you forget the suffering.
00:49:34.480 --> 00:49:36.659
Otherwise, you would never do it again. And I
00:49:36.659 --> 00:49:38.599
think maybe comps are like that. You forget the
00:49:38.599 --> 00:49:40.440
lows, the nerves, the lack of sleep the night
00:49:40.440 --> 00:49:42.880
before. And you just keep doing it because there's
00:49:42.880 --> 00:49:45.599
something about it. But always keep going back.
00:49:45.900 --> 00:49:49.440
Comps are tough, too, because, like, I know Selene
00:49:49.440 --> 00:49:51.960
feels this way. We've talked about it where even
00:49:51.960 --> 00:49:55.079
if you win, if you don't top, you're just like,
00:49:55.159 --> 00:49:57.280
oh, I wish I talked or I wish it does better.
00:49:57.559 --> 00:49:59.920
So, like, I think we're all. At the high -performing
00:49:59.920 --> 00:50:02.059
level, we're all pretty hard on ourselves of
00:50:02.059 --> 00:50:05.300
never really being happy. So that's something
00:50:05.300 --> 00:50:07.559
I'm personally trying to work on. This is probably
00:50:07.559 --> 00:50:09.079
going to be the season, or at least next season,
00:50:09.179 --> 00:50:10.800
that I actually do start working with a sports
00:50:10.800 --> 00:50:13.460
psychiatrist to figure out some better nerves
00:50:13.460 --> 00:50:18.699
and things like that. But yeah, it's again, it's
00:50:18.699 --> 00:50:22.519
like, do I miss the old days where it was easier
00:50:22.519 --> 00:50:28.219
and more friendly? Sure. But... if the consequence
00:50:28.219 --> 00:50:33.440
of the sport being more serious and the other
00:50:33.440 --> 00:50:36.139
athletes have gotten so strong that I can't make
00:50:36.139 --> 00:50:38.500
the team anymore that's like honestly a best
00:50:38.500 --> 00:50:41.139
case scenario if they don't need if I'm not the
00:50:41.139 --> 00:50:42.719
strongest anymore that means the sport has just
00:50:42.719 --> 00:50:46.039
grown so much I'm still gonna make it though
00:50:46.039 --> 00:50:47.739
I mean I'm in a podium in LA I'll say it now
00:50:48.039 --> 00:50:50.639
I'm going to get a medal. Okay. I like it. And
00:50:50.639 --> 00:50:52.460
it's a good way to think about it either way.
00:50:52.619 --> 00:50:57.320
Okay. So going into outdoor climbing. So I guess
00:50:57.320 --> 00:50:59.440
like just generally, how does outdoor climbing
00:50:59.440 --> 00:51:01.920
compare to indoor climbing for you in terms of
00:51:01.920 --> 00:51:04.119
like, if it's more or less friendly to your impairment?
00:51:04.960 --> 00:51:08.500
That's even more of a depends. I'm not a giant
00:51:08.500 --> 00:51:12.219
fan of, I guess, granite, which is ironic because
00:51:12.219 --> 00:51:13.739
the hardest climb I've ever done was granite.
00:51:14.480 --> 00:51:17.590
I love the red, which on paper. I shouldn't because
00:51:17.590 --> 00:51:19.769
it's steep and steep climbing can be really hard
00:51:19.769 --> 00:51:21.510
for upper limb because like your chest stays
00:51:21.510 --> 00:51:23.969
so close. Then like, I can only ever clip with
00:51:23.969 --> 00:51:25.929
my right. So if I'm like, Hey, yeah, it's just
00:51:25.929 --> 00:51:29.630
like on paper vert should be my thing, but I
00:51:29.630 --> 00:51:31.769
just, I love the red because the holds are so
00:51:31.769 --> 00:51:33.769
good and you can, and there's so many of them.
00:51:33.829 --> 00:51:35.989
You can make up your own micro beta instead of
00:51:35.989 --> 00:51:39.869
like having to do specific stuff for a lot. But
00:51:39.869 --> 00:51:45.369
I also love tense sleep style, like techie vert.
00:51:45.530 --> 00:51:48.630
The only thing I hate, hate is probably friction
00:51:48.630 --> 00:51:51.349
slab. And I think some people would say, oh,
00:51:51.489 --> 00:51:53.150
but that's all feet. You don't need your hands.
00:51:53.369 --> 00:51:55.750
And I'm just, it's terrifying. I'm just scared.
00:51:55.929 --> 00:51:59.349
I think everybody is. That's the only thing I
00:51:59.349 --> 00:52:01.530
feel like hard pass, no slab. No, thank you.
00:52:01.869 --> 00:52:04.269
Okay. So you really just have to work on your
00:52:04.269 --> 00:52:06.969
slab climbing. Pretty much. Oh, I would say,
00:52:07.010 --> 00:52:08.809
I feel like slab climbing when there is a hand,
00:52:08.929 --> 00:52:11.050
it's your only option. You have to use it. So
00:52:11.050 --> 00:52:13.329
if there happens to be a key left, I'd just be
00:52:13.329 --> 00:52:15.349
like, I'm screwed. I'm stuck on the slab forever.
00:52:16.460 --> 00:52:18.719
No, no, because there's no bouldering in Paris.
00:52:18.860 --> 00:52:22.760
The closest we have to slab is now and then.
00:52:23.639 --> 00:52:25.960
Like in Villars, that wall was kind of skinny.
00:52:26.079 --> 00:52:27.960
So some of our qualities in a finals route was
00:52:27.960 --> 00:52:29.780
on speedball, which is still 15 degrees over.
00:52:29.900 --> 00:52:32.480
Oh, yeah. So that's the closest to slab we get.
00:52:32.559 --> 00:52:34.519
Sometimes at nationals, because we're in a commercial
00:52:34.519 --> 00:52:37.579
gym and there's so many of us, some of the RP1
00:52:37.579 --> 00:52:40.739
routes might be on more overt, but probably never
00:52:40.739 --> 00:52:44.099
actual slab. That makes sense. So what projects
00:52:44.099 --> 00:52:46.360
do you have going on right now? So I'm working
00:52:46.360 --> 00:52:49.380
on, I was really hoping to get it this fall,
00:52:49.460 --> 00:52:50.780
but I didn't. So I'm going back in a couple weeks.
00:52:51.539 --> 00:52:54.800
I have, I want to push harder. So I made a film
00:52:54.800 --> 00:52:59.179
years ago, my first 512. And turns out that wasn't
00:52:59.179 --> 00:53:00.960
enough. And so now I want to do even harder things.
00:53:01.019 --> 00:53:03.519
So I have a beautiful line I'm working on in
00:53:03.519 --> 00:53:06.400
the red called Far From God. And again, it's
00:53:06.400 --> 00:53:08.920
like on paper, my anti -style. It's 110 feet,
00:53:09.079 --> 00:53:13.440
mega overhanging, like V3 boulder problem opening.
00:53:13.679 --> 00:53:17.460
That's like. 55 degrees but there's something
00:53:17.460 --> 00:53:20.219
about it that i just love huge falls do i'm kind
00:53:20.219 --> 00:53:21.599
of a wimp when it comes to falls but on this
00:53:21.599 --> 00:53:24.960
thing i'm taking like 30 footers just like it's
00:53:24.960 --> 00:53:28.280
just it's so fun and i i love the red river gorge
00:53:28.280 --> 00:53:31.460
it's it's it's a second home to us i go for like
00:53:31.460 --> 00:53:34.219
two months every fall now um that's where we
00:53:34.219 --> 00:53:36.179
host the adaptive climbers festival which is
00:53:36.179 --> 00:53:38.320
probably where my heart and passion is even more
00:53:38.320 --> 00:53:41.780
so than comps is this festival It's just a beautiful
00:53:41.780 --> 00:53:43.519
world -class climbing spot and the locals are
00:53:43.519 --> 00:53:46.400
incredible and it's accessible for so many people.
00:53:46.860 --> 00:53:49.559
And I just love it. But again, on paper, steep
00:53:49.559 --> 00:53:51.880
overhanging jugs is not great for AU athletes,
00:53:52.159 --> 00:53:53.820
but there's something about it I just really
00:53:53.820 --> 00:53:55.860
love. And you're getting out there in a couple
00:53:55.860 --> 00:53:58.039
of weeks? Yeah, after nationals, I'll come home
00:53:58.039 --> 00:53:59.920
for a week and then start driving to Kentucky.
00:54:00.400 --> 00:54:03.219
Okay, best of luck to you there and at nationals
00:54:03.219 --> 00:54:05.880
too. Thanks, yeah, it'll be good. Outside of
00:54:05.880 --> 00:54:08.050
climbing, anything else you have time for? Yeah,
00:54:08.090 --> 00:54:11.929
there's my other, I guess, passion sport, actually.
00:54:12.130 --> 00:54:13.550
And there's days I like it more than climbing,
00:54:13.670 --> 00:54:16.550
more than I should admit. I'm a big fly fisher.
00:54:17.690 --> 00:54:21.250
But I love fishing. I catch and release because
00:54:21.250 --> 00:54:24.070
I don't like the way they taste. But there's
00:54:24.070 --> 00:54:25.570
something about being in the river. It's kind
00:54:25.570 --> 00:54:26.750
of like climbing where when you're climbing,
00:54:26.809 --> 00:54:28.550
it's so immersive that you lose track of everything
00:54:28.550 --> 00:54:30.449
else. Fishing is the same way. You're in the
00:54:30.449 --> 00:54:34.519
river. You're constantly reading the river. trying
00:54:34.519 --> 00:54:37.079
to think like a fish and experimenting. So it's
00:54:37.079 --> 00:54:38.920
just so immersive that you don't have time to
00:54:38.920 --> 00:54:40.679
think about like, oh, I have this bill to pay
00:54:40.679 --> 00:54:43.780
or I have to do laundry. It's just immersive.
00:54:44.380 --> 00:54:47.380
The greatest irony of my life is my husband is
00:54:47.380 --> 00:54:51.099
not a rock climber. He hates rock climbing. And
00:54:51.099 --> 00:54:54.280
so he also fishes, but he's big into whitewater
00:54:54.280 --> 00:54:56.920
rafting. We own two rafts, which I never thought
00:54:56.920 --> 00:54:59.539
I would say. So I've actually kind of dabbled
00:54:59.539 --> 00:55:03.420
with some raft only access rock climbing. And
00:55:03.420 --> 00:55:05.579
I think one of the trips I would like to do post
00:55:05.579 --> 00:55:08.340
Paralympics would be like a desert raft first
00:55:08.340 --> 00:55:11.039
descent trip. Floating the Colorado River in
00:55:11.039 --> 00:55:13.380
the desert and finding some like nice sandstone,
00:55:13.599 --> 00:55:16.340
beautiful line that haven't been climbed yet
00:55:16.340 --> 00:55:20.880
would be really fun. As well as I in 2018, I
00:55:20.880 --> 00:55:22.480
did an expedition to the Cirque of the Unclimbables.
00:55:23.439 --> 00:55:25.780
And we did not do the climb in the style we wanted.
00:55:25.920 --> 00:55:27.239
So I've been wanting to go back for revenge.
00:55:27.519 --> 00:55:30.579
But you can also, we flew in directly, but you
00:55:30.579 --> 00:55:32.780
can also fly on the raft, float the Nahanni River
00:55:32.780 --> 00:55:34.619
for a couple of days, jump out through the climb
00:55:34.619 --> 00:55:36.219
and then float out. And I'm like, that would
00:55:36.219 --> 00:55:40.500
be cool. Wow, that is cool. So in 2029, you're
00:55:40.500 --> 00:55:43.460
going to see me all of outside big adventures.
00:55:44.340 --> 00:55:47.719
Does that also mean like deep water soloing or
00:55:47.719 --> 00:55:50.420
is that like different? Oh, no. Okay. No. Okay.
00:55:51.260 --> 00:55:53.699
I've done, I haven't done real deep water soloing.
00:55:53.739 --> 00:55:55.320
I've done like the sequel block wall a couple
00:55:55.320 --> 00:55:58.940
of times. Low key hated every minute of it. So
00:55:58.940 --> 00:56:02.219
scary. I was letting go before I was pumped because
00:56:02.219 --> 00:56:04.079
I was just like, I can't, I do not want to fall
00:56:04.079 --> 00:56:07.039
from any higher. I'm not in, I'm not a swimming
00:56:07.039 --> 00:56:09.219
in the water person. Like fishing is my maximum.
00:56:09.539 --> 00:56:11.380
For rafting, I like to sit in the front and drink
00:56:11.380 --> 00:56:13.980
a beer. That's my level of. Oh, gotcha. Oh, so
00:56:13.980 --> 00:56:16.460
it's like kind of chill. Okay. Yeah. Or if it's
00:56:16.460 --> 00:56:18.119
not, I'll hang on and then go back to the beer.
00:56:18.219 --> 00:56:23.289
But I. deep water soloing has never spoken to
00:56:23.289 --> 00:56:26.230
me and I'm okay with that that's fair I guess
00:56:26.230 --> 00:56:28.949
yeah I never really thought about like how scary
00:56:28.949 --> 00:56:30.969
it would be to fall from that height into water
00:56:30.969 --> 00:56:33.969
because it's not exactly safe if you don't know
00:56:33.969 --> 00:56:35.929
how to fall into water no I mean there's a reason
00:56:35.929 --> 00:56:37.750
why at these comps they have the lifeguards in
00:56:37.750 --> 00:56:40.730
the water um and so the idea of doing it outside
00:56:40.730 --> 00:56:42.309
in Spain where there's no lifeguards I'm like
00:56:42.309 --> 00:56:46.090
what um and it's really hard this was surprising
00:56:46.090 --> 00:56:48.869
to me I'm not a great swimmer as it is. Like
00:56:48.869 --> 00:56:51.369
I'm finding Nemo over here. I'm lopsided. But
00:56:51.369 --> 00:56:53.949
when you have climbing shoes on, you can't kick.
00:56:54.110 --> 00:56:55.809
Like you're trying to propel yourself up to air
00:56:55.809 --> 00:56:57.309
and it's just slicing through the water. It was
00:56:57.309 --> 00:57:00.349
just. Oh, no. I never thought about that. Once
00:57:00.349 --> 00:57:02.789
in Montreal, like my sports bra came off in the
00:57:02.789 --> 00:57:04.750
pool. So I was like trying to get my bra down.
00:57:04.769 --> 00:57:08.889
I was trying not to be naked. I was like teenage
00:57:08.889 --> 00:57:10.630
lifeguards coming to rescue me. And I'm just
00:57:10.630 --> 00:57:15.429
like topless and drowning. Yeah, I'm not a big
00:57:15.429 --> 00:57:18.110
fan. I love it as a community building event,
00:57:18.190 --> 00:57:20.349
though. Like the deep water solo comps are so,
00:57:20.349 --> 00:57:22.570
so much fun. It's a beach party for climbing.
00:57:23.070 --> 00:57:26.170
So hopefully maybe this summer I could commentate
00:57:26.170 --> 00:57:29.010
the big event that North Face does. But I don't
00:57:29.010 --> 00:57:30.230
think you're going to see me in the water anymore.
00:57:30.429 --> 00:57:33.550
I did my time. Wow. No, I had no idea. That really
00:57:33.550 --> 00:57:35.309
sucks. I guess. Yeah, I should definitely never
00:57:35.309 --> 00:57:38.349
do it because I can't swim. Well, on the flip
00:57:38.349 --> 00:57:42.079
side, the comp that was in. It was in New York.
00:57:42.159 --> 00:57:43.980
Did you have to fall into the East River? It
00:57:43.980 --> 00:57:46.699
was kind of gross. Yes. But were you then rescued
00:57:46.699 --> 00:57:49.300
by, like, very fine -looking New York firefighters?
00:57:49.699 --> 00:57:52.980
Also, yes. So, like, there's a balance. Okay,
00:57:53.019 --> 00:57:55.179
nice. I mean, I don't know, though. I think I'd
00:57:55.179 --> 00:57:58.219
rather not drown and, like, be in gross water.
00:57:58.639 --> 00:58:00.739
Yeah. That sounds like too much for me. But,
00:58:00.780 --> 00:58:02.219
you know, they make for good stories once you're...
00:58:02.400 --> 00:58:06.619
out and alive yeah for sure that sounds fun um
00:58:06.619 --> 00:58:09.519
okay let's get into some of the audience submitted
00:58:09.519 --> 00:58:12.940
questions um this one is from lucky penguin three
00:58:12.940 --> 00:58:15.639
favorite comp memory if it was the firefighter
00:58:15.639 --> 00:58:17.619
one i don't know maybe i mean that's pretty good
00:58:17.619 --> 00:58:20.280
right yeah like oh no i'm johnny come save me
00:58:20.280 --> 00:58:25.320
handsome uh it probably was that that edinburgh
00:58:25.320 --> 00:58:29.579
comp in 2017 that whole summer i was filming
00:58:29.579 --> 00:58:33.050
stumped um for real rock and was just like not
00:58:33.050 --> 00:58:35.909
sending not sending like could not get this climb
00:58:35.909 --> 00:58:38.630
took a break to go do a world cup in scotland
00:58:38.630 --> 00:58:40.570
mostly because i wanted to go around after and
00:58:40.570 --> 00:58:43.369
drink a lot of whiskey um and we were merged
00:58:43.369 --> 00:58:45.409
there weren't enough of me of au2 so we merged
00:58:45.409 --> 00:58:48.349
into rp2 and like god the women in rp2 are so
00:58:48.349 --> 00:58:50.769
strong and i was like oh well i'm not gonna do
00:58:50.769 --> 00:58:52.530
well maybe i want to make finals i'm just here
00:58:52.530 --> 00:58:56.110
for a good time and i made finals in like fourth
00:58:56.110 --> 00:58:58.369
place or something and so i came out kind of
00:58:58.369 --> 00:59:02.599
early did my climb I'm like eating a haggis burrito.
00:59:03.019 --> 00:59:05.480
And the girl after me falls before me. I was
00:59:05.480 --> 00:59:07.559
like, oh, wow. Holy shit. I got third. Cool.
00:59:07.900 --> 00:59:09.400
I'm like chit -chatting, chit -chatting. The
00:59:09.400 --> 00:59:11.119
next girl falls. I'm like, oh, my God. I think
00:59:11.119 --> 00:59:15.300
I got second. And now I'm watching the last girl,
00:59:15.420 --> 00:59:17.920
Hannah Baldwin, who is so strong. There's no
00:59:17.920 --> 00:59:20.599
world where I should beat her. But again, because
00:59:20.599 --> 00:59:22.780
it was just more of a slabby style, she had no
00:59:22.780 --> 00:59:26.119
use of her legs. Like it was paralyzed. So because
00:59:26.119 --> 00:59:28.119
it was this great slab, all of a sudden she pops
00:59:28.119 --> 00:59:30.119
off. And I just look at my husband. And I was
00:59:30.119 --> 00:59:33.639
like, did I just, did I just win? Uh, and it
00:59:33.639 --> 00:59:37.400
was so, it was so unexpected. Um, so that's a
00:59:37.400 --> 00:59:39.260
favorite. My other favorite was the world champs
00:59:39.260 --> 00:59:42.920
in Branson in 2019. Um, I had just torn my hip
00:59:42.920 --> 00:59:45.559
labrum like three weeks before, like kind of
00:59:45.559 --> 00:59:48.920
badly. Like I, I was in so much pain. Um, I could
00:59:48.920 --> 00:59:51.039
have pulled out of the comp, but I was just like,
00:59:51.059 --> 00:59:54.719
fights are booked. I'm like, whatever. Um, and
00:59:54.719 --> 00:59:58.039
so I made finals. And something happened at finals
00:59:58.039 --> 01:00:00.539
where I just found this beast mode that I didn't
01:00:00.539 --> 01:00:02.440
know existed. And I climbed like I had never
01:00:02.440 --> 01:00:06.260
climbed before. I didn't notice the pain. I climbed
01:00:06.260 --> 01:00:07.820
despite of it. Or like when you're competing,
01:00:07.940 --> 01:00:09.360
you get this tunnel vision. Like you don't hear
01:00:09.360 --> 01:00:11.880
the crowd. You don't feel pain. You're not afraid
01:00:11.880 --> 01:00:14.880
of falling. And I get off the wall and our coach
01:00:14.880 --> 01:00:17.300
was just like, who the hell was that? And I was
01:00:17.300 --> 01:00:19.980
like, I don't know. I have no idea. And I got
01:00:19.980 --> 01:00:22.300
silver, but that silver felt like gold to me
01:00:22.300 --> 01:00:25.119
because I. I did beat one of my like long -term
01:00:25.119 --> 01:00:27.480
neck and neck people and I performed despite
01:00:27.480 --> 01:00:30.139
the injury, but it was mostly that even if I
01:00:30.139 --> 01:00:32.119
hadn't medaled, I'm like, that is the best I've
01:00:32.119 --> 01:00:34.960
ever climbed or the best I've ever felt. So I'm
01:00:34.960 --> 01:00:38.380
always chasing that feeling of just like, like,
01:00:38.420 --> 01:00:39.619
you know how I said, even if you win, if you
01:00:39.619 --> 01:00:41.440
don't top, you feel shitty sometimes. Yeah. That
01:00:41.440 --> 01:00:43.360
was one where it didn't matter the color of my
01:00:43.360 --> 01:00:45.280
metal. I was like, that's the best I've ever
01:00:45.280 --> 01:00:48.519
done and could have done. I just felt. Yeah.
01:00:48.599 --> 01:00:50.739
I guess it's kind of like the power of not having
01:00:50.739 --> 01:00:53.570
expectations. And I always block out my climbs
01:00:53.570 --> 01:00:55.190
anyway. Like I get to the ground. I'm like, I
01:00:55.190 --> 01:00:56.530
don't know what just happened. I have no memory
01:00:56.530 --> 01:00:59.449
of anything. So, but that one, but that one,
01:00:59.489 --> 01:01:01.369
I kind of remember being in the steep part of
01:01:01.369 --> 01:01:05.869
the wall and just being like, yeah. Chasing that
01:01:05.869 --> 01:01:09.329
high. No, I totally agree with that. Yeah. Okay.
01:01:09.409 --> 01:01:13.030
Next one from Gimpen and still crimping. If you
01:01:13.030 --> 01:01:16.110
podium at LA 2028, will you eat a cupcake on
01:01:16.110 --> 01:01:17.980
the podium? I don't know if there's like backstory
01:01:17.980 --> 01:01:21.260
to this. Yeah, there's a long time where I was
01:01:21.260 --> 01:01:25.519
eating cupcakes on podiums. Okay. And sadly,
01:01:25.619 --> 01:01:28.719
I've lost my sweet tooth with age a bit. No.
01:01:29.599 --> 01:01:31.840
Which it's funny as a kid. Like I remember my
01:01:31.840 --> 01:01:33.539
mom being like, oh no, I don't like any cake
01:01:33.539 --> 01:01:35.320
or ice cream. It's too sweet. I'm like, mom,
01:01:35.400 --> 01:01:36.860
you're nuts. But now I get it. Like we do kind
01:01:36.860 --> 01:01:43.360
of lose it. Oh no. But when I podium in LA. Absolutely.
01:01:43.820 --> 01:01:45.940
As long as I'm not breaking some weird like IPC
01:01:45.940 --> 01:01:47.980
rule about celebrating too hard or something
01:01:47.980 --> 01:01:50.219
like as long as it's cool. I don't want to get
01:01:50.219 --> 01:01:53.039
fined or kicked off or anything. But there will
01:01:53.039 --> 01:01:56.219
be cupcakes regardless. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like
01:01:56.219 --> 01:01:58.159
a fine would be worth it. Well, depending on
01:01:58.159 --> 01:01:59.679
how much you're right. A fine would be worth
01:01:59.679 --> 01:02:01.380
it. I'm done after L .A. I don't I don't have.
01:02:01.400 --> 01:02:04.699
Yeah, exactly. I can burn all the. Wait, when
01:02:04.699 --> 01:02:06.860
do you feel like you lost your sweet tooth? Because
01:02:06.860 --> 01:02:10.380
I'm like big into sweets and I don't know. I
01:02:10.380 --> 01:02:13.130
don't know if I'll ever lose it. I think it started
01:02:13.130 --> 01:02:16.510
when I was maybe, like, not that long ago, like,
01:02:16.510 --> 01:02:18.570
mid -30s, where I was like, oh, I can't eat like
01:02:18.570 --> 01:02:20.210
I used to, and I have to eat more carefully.
01:02:20.670 --> 01:02:22.510
And that means you accidentally start liking
01:02:22.510 --> 01:02:27.769
vegetables, which is not cool. And, yeah, it
01:02:27.769 --> 01:02:29.849
just kind of happened. Or now it's like, oh,
01:02:29.849 --> 01:02:32.230
yeah, two bites of ice cream is all I need. But
01:02:32.230 --> 01:02:33.889
there's always a spot for, like, good European
01:02:33.889 --> 01:02:36.949
chocolate. Like, I can destroy a giant milk bar
01:02:36.949 --> 01:02:41.159
like a pro. Did you... actually stop wanting
01:02:41.159 --> 01:02:43.579
sweets or was it just like, oh, you don't feel
01:02:43.579 --> 01:02:46.719
good now when you have sweets? Better both. Just
01:02:46.719 --> 01:02:48.579
like I used to live on bagels and king cheese.
01:02:48.619 --> 01:02:50.760
Now I'm like, oh, if I have a whole bagel, I'm
01:02:50.760 --> 01:02:54.250
going to feel gross. But I'll still do it. Just
01:02:54.250 --> 01:02:56.630
curious. I guess this got a little derailed,
01:02:56.650 --> 01:02:59.269
but it's like a big thing on my mind. Yeah. Like
01:02:59.269 --> 01:03:01.090
back when I was like really dirtbagging, like
01:03:01.090 --> 01:03:03.610
I lived like my lunch every day at my like low
01:03:03.610 --> 01:03:05.469
paid retail job was like a bagel and a cream
01:03:05.469 --> 01:03:07.630
cheese. OK, we'll see, because I've considered
01:03:07.630 --> 01:03:09.869
I've considered like, oh, maybe I should cut
01:03:09.869 --> 01:03:11.570
out sweets. But I'm like, that's kind of the
01:03:11.570 --> 01:03:14.150
only thing that brings me happiness. Yeah. And
01:03:14.150 --> 01:03:16.090
like as I'm dumping sugar in my coffee, like
01:03:16.090 --> 01:03:18.369
should I? No. But are there worse things that
01:03:18.369 --> 01:03:19.969
I'm doing to myself than sugar in my coffee?
01:03:20.130 --> 01:03:23.269
Yeah. So the sugar in the coffee. Okay. I'll
01:03:23.269 --> 01:03:25.289
just not worry about it then. Okay. Um, last
01:03:25.289 --> 01:03:27.329
question that I think will be pretty interesting.
01:03:27.429 --> 01:03:28.969
Cause I think people are pretty interested in
01:03:28.969 --> 01:03:31.510
like the finances of climbing. Was it tough to
01:03:31.510 --> 01:03:34.070
get the North face to sponsor you as a para climber
01:03:34.070 --> 01:03:37.110
and tips for getting sponsors? So tips for getting
01:03:37.110 --> 01:03:39.929
sponsor is tough because I had already won two
01:03:39.929 --> 01:03:41.769
world championships before I even got a free
01:03:41.769 --> 01:03:45.769
bag of chalk. Um, so it's, it's the, the barrier
01:03:45.769 --> 01:03:49.880
to entry is high. I wish I had advice. Um, I
01:03:49.880 --> 01:03:51.719
think a lot of athletes would say that they got
01:03:51.719 --> 01:03:54.360
lucky, which sounds like pop out, but I mean
01:03:54.360 --> 01:03:57.599
it. Like I got lucky because we made Stumped
01:03:57.599 --> 01:03:59.840
and Cedar Wright was one of the filmmakers and
01:03:59.840 --> 01:04:01.699
he's a North Face athlete and he got it picked
01:04:01.699 --> 01:04:03.860
up by Real Rock and North Face has a habit of
01:04:03.860 --> 01:04:06.500
signing whoever goes to Real Rock. And I think
01:04:06.500 --> 01:04:09.039
between Cedar and Conrad Inker, I know as an
01:04:09.039 --> 01:04:10.659
advocate for me, they just said, you should sign
01:04:10.659 --> 01:04:13.139
her. And they were like, the current, the athlete
01:04:13.139 --> 01:04:14.880
manager at the time, I think was on his way out
01:04:14.880 --> 01:04:17.059
and didn't care anymore. And so I got lucky there
01:04:17.059 --> 01:04:18.280
too, because he's like, sure, we'll ever sign
01:04:18.280 --> 01:04:21.739
her. Oh, interesting. And then the rest is just
01:04:21.739 --> 01:04:26.179
like networking. And you just, again, which sounds
01:04:26.179 --> 01:04:27.940
like such an old boomer LinkedIn thing to say,
01:04:28.019 --> 01:04:30.679
like, oh, it's networking. But it's a lot of
01:04:30.679 --> 01:04:31.960
luck. I mean, I don't think it would have happened
01:04:31.960 --> 01:04:33.360
if I hadn't been living here in Denver, because
01:04:33.360 --> 01:04:34.659
then I wouldn't have made the film with Cedar.
01:04:35.599 --> 01:04:39.719
But yeah, I think resources are tough. Like,
01:04:39.719 --> 01:04:41.659
it's not cheap flying around, especially for
01:04:41.659 --> 01:04:44.480
American athletes, because most of the World
01:04:44.480 --> 01:04:48.230
Cup events are overseas for us. It was really
01:04:48.230 --> 01:04:50.090
funny when we started hosting the World Cup in
01:04:50.090 --> 01:04:51.750
the States, like all the European athletes are
01:04:51.750 --> 01:04:53.110
complaining about the expense. And I'm like,
01:04:53.170 --> 01:04:55.530
yeah, welcome to our world for like three times
01:04:55.530 --> 01:05:00.010
a year. It's tough. So I just, I think if you
01:05:00.010 --> 01:05:01.809
truly have a passion for it and learn how to
01:05:01.809 --> 01:05:07.210
tell your story, stuff will work out, I think.
01:05:07.309 --> 01:05:11.269
But it's mostly about telling your story. And
01:05:11.269 --> 01:05:15.590
I appreciate the athletes more who maybe are
01:05:15.590 --> 01:05:19.500
undercover. and would rather eat ramen than try
01:05:19.500 --> 01:05:21.679
to be sponsored so they can keep all of their
01:05:21.679 --> 01:05:23.300
freedom. You know, my sponsors are awesome. I
01:05:23.300 --> 01:05:25.360
feel like I could be myself, but I have a lot
01:05:25.360 --> 01:05:26.820
of respect for the under the radar people who
01:05:26.820 --> 01:05:29.940
are just like more into, you know, actually rock
01:05:29.940 --> 01:05:32.519
climbing than posting on Instagram, which is
01:05:32.519 --> 01:05:34.159
maybe why a lot of my Instagram posts are about
01:05:34.159 --> 01:05:38.400
my dogs than rock climbing. Yeah. But no, I don't,
01:05:38.400 --> 01:05:42.139
I wish I had like the magic formula, but I just
01:05:42.139 --> 01:05:45.059
don't. So I think. Just sticking with the passion
01:05:45.059 --> 01:05:47.739
part and not treating it like work. And that's
01:05:47.739 --> 01:05:50.500
the balance I'm also trying to find is being
01:05:50.500 --> 01:05:53.099
as outrageous as possible that I might get fired
01:05:53.099 --> 01:05:57.019
one day. No, I think that's a good thing. I think
01:05:57.019 --> 01:06:00.119
you kind of need to like develop. Yeah, like
01:06:00.119 --> 01:06:01.900
you mentioned, like develop your story, develop
01:06:01.900 --> 01:06:04.400
your personality. Otherwise, you could be like
01:06:04.400 --> 01:06:07.219
really like a really good technical climber.
01:06:07.260 --> 01:06:10.320
And they just they more so like need the story,
01:06:10.360 --> 01:06:13.239
I think. Yeah. And it's just like having fun.
01:06:13.300 --> 01:06:14.599
I think people are attracted to folks who have
01:06:14.599 --> 01:06:17.280
fun. You know, there's a lot of folks out there
01:06:17.280 --> 01:06:19.579
who are winning comps left and right and who
01:06:19.579 --> 01:06:21.719
want sponsorships, but just like aren't it's
01:06:21.719 --> 01:06:23.360
not clicking for some reason. And I think when
01:06:23.360 --> 01:06:24.579
I think of those folks, I think it's because
01:06:24.579 --> 01:06:27.519
like they're not having fun and you want to hang
01:06:27.519 --> 01:06:30.000
out with people who want to have fun. OK, well,
01:06:30.139 --> 01:06:32.460
I think that is a good place to end it then.
01:06:32.539 --> 01:06:34.500
That's all the other questions I had. Thanks
01:06:34.500 --> 01:06:37.539
for joining me today. Any other like words of
01:06:37.539 --> 01:06:39.760
wisdom or like shout outs you want to put out
01:06:39.760 --> 01:06:41.690
there? I'm a spot. I feel like I reached out
01:06:41.690 --> 01:06:45.010
at my husband, but I can't, Oh, I can't undersell.
01:06:45.110 --> 01:06:47.269
I can't oversell how incredible it is to have
01:06:47.269 --> 01:06:50.510
a partner who, uh, like I actually, it occurred
01:06:50.510 --> 01:06:51.989
to me, a friend of mine actually asked me, she
01:06:51.989 --> 01:06:54.150
was just like, Hey, so did you like ask Brian
01:06:54.150 --> 01:06:56.170
if he was okay with you on retiree and like doing
01:06:56.170 --> 01:06:58.130
this nightmare run to the fair? And I was like,
01:06:58.170 --> 01:07:01.449
no, I just kind of told him, um, he's sticking
01:07:01.449 --> 01:07:04.230
with me. So, I mean, he's having that support
01:07:04.230 --> 01:07:05.949
is more important than any sponsor. There's no
01:07:05.949 --> 01:07:08.869
paycheck that replaced having that kind of support.
01:07:09.340 --> 01:07:12.500
yeah um words of wisdom for like other para climbers
01:07:12.500 --> 01:07:18.480
out there other climbers do it try hard um but
01:07:18.480 --> 01:07:20.739
not so hard that they would beat you exactly
01:07:20.739 --> 01:07:22.619
try a little less power if you're women they
01:07:22.619 --> 01:07:28.019
use you but um um no get it and they're usc this
01:07:28.019 --> 01:07:29.980
year especially is launching local competitions
01:07:29.980 --> 01:07:32.619
um so it's never going to be easy used to be
01:07:32.619 --> 01:07:34.739
your first competition ever would be nationals
01:07:34.739 --> 01:07:37.429
which is a lot of pressure But this year, there's
01:07:37.429 --> 01:07:38.469
going to be four or five across the country.
01:07:38.969 --> 01:07:41.030
Oh, wait, I didn't know about that. Yeah, there
01:07:41.030 --> 01:07:44.349
was one last weekend in Boston. I'm not sure
01:07:44.349 --> 01:07:45.650
where the rest of them are going to be, but there's
01:07:45.650 --> 01:07:48.530
now a more accessible, less scary way to try
01:07:48.530 --> 01:07:52.329
Paracomp. And they're great. Cool. Okay. I didn't
01:07:52.329 --> 01:07:54.210
know about that. So that's great to get out there.
01:07:54.389 --> 01:07:56.269
That's something that, again, USAC is investing
01:07:56.269 --> 01:07:58.510
in paraclimbing and putting resources into growing
01:07:58.510 --> 01:08:02.519
the team and community. So it's time. 20 -year
01:08:02.519 --> 01:08:04.039
-old me is so jealous right now of all these
01:08:04.039 --> 01:08:06.460
kids. That's good. Of course, yeah. Yeah, it's
01:08:06.460 --> 01:08:08.820
a good thing. Want to let people know where they
01:08:08.820 --> 01:08:12.019
can find you? Yeah, so MoenMountains on Instagram
01:08:12.019 --> 01:08:14.179
is where you can really follow the adventures.
01:08:14.440 --> 01:08:17.239
And I swear I'm going to be better about updating
01:08:17.239 --> 01:08:19.100
my website more, especially this sort of like
01:08:19.100 --> 01:08:22.520
journey to the Paralympics. It's a new world
01:08:22.520 --> 01:08:24.220
for me, so maybe some people will come along
01:08:24.220 --> 01:08:26.560
for the ride. Okay, well, thank you again. It
01:08:26.560 --> 01:08:29.460
was amazing to chat. Yeah, so great. Thank you
01:08:29.460 --> 01:08:31.800
so much for making it to the end of the podcast.
01:08:32.199 --> 01:08:34.579
Don't forget to like and subscribe if you enjoyed.
01:08:34.840 --> 01:08:38.420
Otherwise, you are a super fake climber. If you're
01:08:38.420 --> 01:08:40.859
listening on a podcasting platform, I'd appreciate
01:08:40.859 --> 01:08:43.579
if you rate it five stars and you can continue
01:08:43.579 --> 01:08:46.359
the discussion on the free competition climbing
01:08:46.359 --> 01:08:49.359
discord linked in the description. Thanks again
01:08:49.359 --> 01:08:49.819
for listening.
