MOLLY MITCHELL -USA-

Trad! And Sport

When I was 12 I took a trip to Yosemite with my dad and tried toproping on the Swan Slabs. But since there were no climbing gyms very close by where I lived (Fort Worth, TX and then Atlanta, GA), I just stuck with gymnastics and then track for a while. At age 16 I joined a climbing gym about an hour away and started driving myself there on the weekends. I liked that climbing pushed me out of my comfort zone and empowered me to commit to moves that my mind didn't think were possible. I then chose to go to school at CU Boulder and pursue my climbing as well.

Lynn Hill! I hope I'm someone's role model :). I try to be as authentic as I can with people and share my struggles along with successes. Something I'm passionate about is Mental Health, and I want people to see the real me and the ups and downs I have had with anxiety. So often on social media we just see the highlights of someone's life, but I think it's good to show that no one is perfect. It just makes me want to be transparent.

Sending China Doll was a huge milestone because I never thought I could climb 5.14 trad. It took hard work and I'm so proud of what I put into it. Also, I think moving back to Boulder in 2018 (I lived in Vegas for a couple years after graduating from CU) really set a new direction for my whole life. I have had experiences, made amazing friends, had career opportunities that may have never happened had I stayed in Vegas. But I do miss it sometimes! I'm glad for that experience as well. I grew a lot in my time away from Boulder and felt like I found myself and got rid of my ego while I was away. Also, I think seeing a psychiatrist and going to therapy was a huge milestone for me. Accepting that my anxiety had gotten to a bad place (both in 2014, and in 2019 again) was really important for me, and changed my whole life for the better.

When I was 20 I developed a viral thyroid disease that left me feeling really weak and tired all the time. It lasted about a year. It's funny because that's when I wanted to start getting into competition climbing, but since I felt so bad all the time I decided against it and started climbing outside more. And I ended up getting into trad climbing shortly after. It's strange how our life directs us to what we were really meant for.

Anxiety has also been a factor that has really made me struggle. There are bad days where everything just feels overwhelming and I feel like my self worth is really low. But it also has taught me a lot. I don't know if I would be so obsessive as I am without it, nor if I would appreciate the presence that I find in climbing. It's a part of me and learning to manage it has made me stronger.

Hmmm there's so many! I think one that sticks out is watching Heather Weidner send China Doll back in 2016. I got to belay her! And just the chills that it still gives me to think about that day is incredible. We were screaming and crying and so ecstatic. Watching her fight so hard for many days and finally break through - those moments are so valuable. And it's pretty cool that I ended up going through the process and sending China doll a few years later. Heather also supported me through the ups and downs of the projecting process! She's an inspiration to me.

Most of the time, yes. Tim Rose is my trainer and writes my plans. They are dependent upon what my goals are! Usually specific climbs I want to try. But I go through more strict and intense months, and then also months where it's lighter and filled with more climbing outside time.

Write down what you are going to do before going to the gym! Or have a trainer make a schedule for you. It really helps to stay focused. Also, make sure you listen to your body and make adjustments if you need to so that you don't get injured. Also know that progress will come even if you have bad days. PS Tim is a great trainer! He helped me a ton with my goal of China Doll, and he's one of the only people I trust with my training.

I use indoor climbing gyms as training for outdoor goals and climbing. I don't count climbing outside really as training. I go to the gym to train! But I prefer to climb outside when I can, in addition to the training I need to do at the gym

No I wish!

Hmm not sure about what this means really. I think you have to have the skill to be able to perform well in competitions and send your projects. And I think the more cool things you do outside or perform well in comps, the more attention you get. I have the mindset that hard work = reward. I try to be overly qualified physically for a route, so that when the pressure is on to perform well and redpoint, I can be confident in myself.

Oh I think if you work hard and trust the process, anything is possible. I didn't start climbing until I was 16, and I never thought I'd be able to achieve some of the things I have. You just have to commit, and you'll surprise yourself.

I am a goal oriented person, so for me it's really important. It keeps me on track and is how I base my training and resting cycles. It keeps me motivated too. Currently I have a few routes in mind that I want to do... when we are able to climb again! In quarantine I've made mini goals of being able to do the splits and hang on a small edge with one hand. It's the only goals I can really see progress in at the moment. But once we can climb outside again I'd like to work towards climbing another 5.14 trad route.

Everyone gets frustrated. I think the best way to deal with it is to not set such a strict time frame for completion, and always look for small victories and progress in the projecting process. These can be super small- even just learning new micro beta or feeling better on a move. I get frustrated and down on myself, but then try to come back with a more open mind.

Not that I can think of right now... maybe just continuing more awareness of respecting and maintaining our crags! As we get a bigger climbing community it's important to make sure everyone is doing their part to preserve our outdoor areas.

I think the olympics will create more of an interest in the gym scene and maybe more people venturing outside. I hope to continue to quest into more outdoor facets of the sport, and help to promote more awareness to mental health, preserving our outdoor spaces, and love for climbing.