ADVENTURE MAG – July 2019

48

FEATURE

This funding will allow for better

management and a better future for

both sides of the sport.

What are the key aspects of the

sport in its current form that will

change the most?

The main change for the 2020

Games is the use of the Combined

format, but while this is new, it

is also out of necessity so that

all three disciplines are included

from the beginning of our Olympic

journey. The hope is always for

separate medals for the separate

disciplines. It seems this is already

underway, for Paris 2024. It is yet to

be confirmed, so the changes may

only be temporary.

How should a new climber train

with the aim for Olympic glory

into the future, compared with

someone who wants to learn to

climb for the fun of it?

The beginning of the journey is the

same - learning safety skills and

basic climbing skills is the same for

both. Once people lean towards

competitive climbing, specialisation

is needed to learn the skills required

for the styles of climbing seen

in competitions. The early years

are the same regardless, with a

focus on fun and enjoyment while

learning all the foundational skills.

What are some of the most crucial

aspects of training climbers for the

Olympics?

Right now, Olympic climbing

is so new that globally we are

just on the cusp of getting

used to training athletes for

this level and complexity of the

competition. Without a doubt,

the mental aspects of our sport,

as well as getting the athletes as

much international competition

experience as possible, is crucial to

their development.

Tell us about Athlete by Choice

and how it helps with training

athletes? Also, why did you decide

to do this?

ABC has been operating for

nearly a decade now and provides

coaching and remote training

support to athletes of all kinds, at all

levels, all over the world. We work

with everyone from competitive

climbers, to high altitude alpinists,

to weekend warriors, to professional

outdoor climbers. The variety and

complexity of all the different needs

and goals of athletes are what

excites us! Being able to help such

a broad spectrum of interesting and

motivated people to achieve their

goals is amazingly rewarding.

With no two people being the same,

or ever having the same situation,

facilities, schedule, or needs, it

keeps us on our toes and motivated

to grow and learn more to help our

clients better. Over recent years

while the majority of our clientele

has been climbers we have also

branched out and worked with trail

runners, mountain bikers, skiers,

snowboarders, hikers, and all sorts

of other outdoor and adventure

sports people around the globe.

We love being involved with such a

diversity of athletes.