Olympic climbing sparking a new generation of athletes
Thanks to an Olympics showcase, climbing is having a moment.
"It's a family sport, it's entry level for anyone so don't think that climbing isn't for you, because it is." That's how staff at Boulder Climbing Community in the southeast describe the sport.
They're watching all the Sport Climbing events at the Tokyo Olympics. It's the first time they've been included in the summer games. The disciplines include lead climbing, bouldering and speed climbing.
"Obviously I'm biased but I think climbers are superhuman," said Regan Kennedy, co-owner of Boulder and the Alberta Climbing Association performance chair.
"The things that they have to be able to do with their bodies is incredible and it's actually a big challenge for us and for me as the performance chair for the Alberta Climbing Association to find personal trainers that have enough knowledge to program or help us strength train," she said. "Because the movements that they're required to do are just so complex and it's so difficult."
CLIMBING SINCE SHE WAS NINE
Paige Boklaschuk is a 19-year-old kinesiology student who's been climbing since she was nine. She's also a national member of the Canadian climbing team.
"You have to be strong," said Boklaschuk. "You have to have strong fingers and really good upper body strength and core strength but you also have to have a lot of technical skills that you can use and you have to be good under pressure and you have to be able to deal with fear and risk too."
She said she wants to spend the next few years learning what she can at international competitions to help her build up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Jordan Jasper is the assistant manager at Boulder and is a climber himself. He's watched Boklaschuk's strength and resilience continually grow.
"Physically in terms of her tendon health and all of that, because she started so young is going to be great," said Jasper. "But Paige has a really great ability to kind of disconnect from herself, look down at her performance and see what she needs to improve on."
Patrick Juurlink is 43-years-old and just started climbing three months ago as a way to keep in shape. His eight and ten year old sons like to reach new heights with their dad on the climbing wall.
"We were watching (Olympic climbing) this morning, of course it was early so I was just watching a video of the whole preliminaries," said Juurlink. "Yeah and it was great."
Both boys play hockey and say climbing is a way for them to get physically and mentally stronger.
"When I'm older, I'm probably going to climb like my dad," said Oaklyn Juurlink. "So because I'm doing it right now, he didn't do it when he was child so I'm probably going to do it when I'm older."
Kennedy said the sport being included in the Olympic Games will likely result in more people trying it out.
"I'm not sure if it's because it's an individual sport and it's a little bit easier to practice," said Kennedy. "We kind of had these bumps with COVID and the Olympics so probably a mix of both and we'll probably see even more people coming through."
For more information on the Boulder Climbing Community, go here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.