Enormocast 312: Maya Madere – Opportunity Rocks

Photos: Jame Lucas, Bearcam
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On Episode 312 of the Enormocast, I invite comp and rock climber Maya Madere for a face to face interview at the Arc’teryx Academy in Squamish. Maya considers herself an opportunist, but in the good way. She looks for open doors and opportunities, and when they come, she grabs hold tight, works her butt off, and makes the most of the chances she’s given. This attitude has gotten her to World Cups, on top of podiums, through Stanford University, and now landed her a spot on the Arc’teryx team. Now Maya has showed up in her mid-twenties still pursuing that unique high of comp climbing, but also starting to wonder at the rewards of hard outdoor climbing on the boulders, sport routes, and beyond. Maya Madere is at a perfect moment to reflect, take stock, and think about what’s gotten her here and what’s next.

Under Construction

Maya Instagram

Enormocast 282: Natalia Grossman – The Tyranny of Expectations

Photos: Lena Drapella, Christian Adam, Christian Adam. All courtesy of Black Diamond
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On Episode 282 of the Enormocast, I sit down with US Olympic qualifier, Natalia Grossman. That’s right, Natalia is headed to Paris to represent the US in Lead and Boulder combined (speed is separate this time around). But this moment was caught during a bit of down time for Natalia as she ramps up for Spring comp season to ready for the Olympics in July. Natalia explains her beginnings and the over-the-top support of her folks, how the pandemic fit into her rise, and why her success lead to overtraining and burnout. Finally, Natalia vows to keep the pressure of her Olympic debut in perfect perspective as she shuns expectations and just wants to have a great experience and enjoy herself…and…you know, maybe win the gold…if it works out…would be cool.

Natalia on Instagram

Smile and Fight

Enormocast 271: Charlie Schreiber – The Kids are Alright

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On Episode 271, I am joined by climbing coach and former (maybe) competitor, Charlie Schreiber. Charlie coaches climbers of all ages, but the meat of this conversation is about youth climbing teams. Charlie has been a youth climbing coach since he was a youth himself. We discuss my own skepticism about the promise of youth sports, but Charlie allays my fears as best he can with his techniques for including ALL kids in the success of the program. By the end, I am not necessarily won over to the party-line on how good sports are for kids, but I am convinced that Charlie is one of the best youth coaches I’ve ever met.

Paradigm Climbing