Cover art for 34: Rodrigo Hanada, Team Brazil One to Watch

2/3/25

34: Rodrigo Hanada, Team Brazil One to Watch

Rodrigo is a boulder & lead climber from team Brazil. He actually started climbing fairly recently in 2018, but since then has been a 2x south american cup winner and is working his way up the ranks on the world cup circuit! In this episode, we talk about what makes training and climbing in Brazil difficult, how he feels like a “weaker” climber due to starting out as a chubbier kid, and mindset tips he uses while competing.

Cover art for 33: Niki & Jake, Modern Routesetting Specialists

1/20/25

33: Niki & Jake, Modern Routesetting Specialists

Niklas Wiechmann and Jake Mason are routesetters from "Another Setting Podcast" but you may already be familiar with them because Niki was my FIRST ever podcast guest and you are probably familiar with Jake from the Bouldering Bobats. In this episode, we absolutely TRASH US gym hold selection and setting, they give their opinions on worldwide setting styles, comp formats, and moves to LEAVE BEHIND in 2024, and we discuss freelance vs world cup routesetter pay.

Cover art for 32: Andy McVittie, Climbing PT

1/6/25

32: Andy McVittie, Climbing PT

Andy is a climbing PT from Process Physiotherapy. He has been climbing for over 30 years, has coached in the past, and over time has noticed climbing injuries change as the style of climbing has evolved in the competition scene. In this episode, we'll debunk some training and PT myths, talk about the differences between male and female climbers and the types of injuries they face, and we’ll hear about why he thinks fingers are strong enough.

Cover art for 31: Oceana Mackenzie, 2x Olympian

12/9/24

31: Oceana Mackenzie, 2x Olympian

"She goes by Oce" is a boulder and lead climber from Australia! She's had an amazing 2024 season with her first world cup boulder medal in Prague, and also recently competed in her 2nd Olympics. In this episode, we'll learn about how she battled THREE health issues while competing in the Paris olympics, how Paris compared to Tokyo, her training with team Switzerland and making lead climbing gains, and her (thankfully far in the future) plans for retirement.

Cover art for 30: Tom Greenall, Team GB’s ex-head coach

11/11/24

30: Tom Greenall, Team GB’s ex-head coach

Tom is team GB’s ex-head coach! He personally coached Shauna Coxsey into getting her Tokyo Olympic ticket and has worked with the rest of team GB up until he left the national team earlier this year in April. In this episode, we'll learn about why he’s banned from the USA, the strategy for getting Shauna to qualify for the Olympics, and the politics and public backlash he faced working in the circuit that led to his eventual resignation.

Cover art for 29: Sofya Yokoyama, Switzerland Boulderer & OG Youtuber

10/28/24

29: Sofya Yokoyama, Switzerland Boulderer & OG Youtuber

Sofya is a boulderer on team Switzerland and she’s part of the wave of OG climbing Youtubers! In this episode, she gives us a debrief on her last comp of the 2024 season in Prague, we get some insight into team Switzerland and their potential upcoming funding issues, and she opens up about her past struggles with disordered eating and how she overcame it.

Cover art for 28: Stanley & Zulazfar, IFSC Event Delegate & Judge

10/14/24

28: Stanley & Zulazfar, IFSC Event Delegate & Judge

Another double-guest episode! Stanley is an IFSC event delegate and judge chair, while Zul is officially a newly minted IFSC judge. In this episode, we’ll talk about how to become an IFSC judge, hear about their relationships and interactions with athletes and coaches, and we’ll hear some crazy stories about their judging experiences under pressure and cancelling events due to rain like in Keqiao.

Cover art for 27: Jesse Grupper, Team USA Olympian

9/30/24

27: Jesse Grupper, Team USA Olympian

Jesse is a boulder + lead climber (mostly lead climber) from the USA who is fresh from the Olympics! In this episode, he walks us through his entire Olympics experience, from training through his first ever finger injury, to balancing training with his engineering job, to meeting other athletes in the Olympic village.

Cover art for 26: Olga Niemiec, IFSC Olympic Routesetter

9/16/24

26: Olga Niemiec, IFSC Olympic Routesetter

Olga is an official IFSC routesetter, and she recently came back from Paris, where she helped set the Olympic boulder rounds. In this episode, we'll learn about what it takes to become an IFSC setter, what it was like setting at the Olympics and trying to make the rounds fair, and how she balances setting, training, and traveling all while being a single mother.

Cover art for 25: Allen Lactaoen, Brand New Athlete

9/2/24

25: Allen Lactaoen, Brand New Athlete

I know Allen from our climbing training class in San Diego, but he is also a boulderer for a brand new IFSC federation, Team Guam. In this episode, we'll learn about what it’s like competing on the world cup circuit as an “average” climber who only started climbing at 23 years old and works a full time engineering job. We’ll also hear about what it’s like as a NEW competitor competing in Innsbruck including the afterparties, and all about the Guam climbing scene.