If it’s not obvious, Carl is Erin McNeice’s dad and I’m so thrilled to get a parent perspective on the podcast. In this episode, we’ll learn about the family’s dedication and honest approach to building Erin’s climbing career, how much it cost to support the training and travel of an athlete, why he’s no longer allowed to watch her comps in person, and get adorable dad-anecdotes from the Olympics.

Guest links:

Carl’s Instagram

Reference links:

Erin’s Episode

Budapest Olympic Qualifier Stress

(Buzzed) Eurosport interview

Horsin Around Quest for 8C

Thank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com

Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp

Join Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro

1:19 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!

2:06 - Returning from Innsbruck

5:44 - Carl's climbing and gymnastics background

10:47 - Getting involved in competition climbing

15:57 - When to push vs when to back off

22:43 - The cost of being a comp parent

28:32 - Sudden rise between the 2023-2024 season

33:59 - Erin's intense training schedule

38:37 - Phasing out of Erin's training routine

42:53 - Not being allowed to watch the comps in person

48:06 - The stress of watching your child compete

54:38 - Most stressful competition to watch

58:35 - The Olympics experience

1:06:13 - Thoughts on dangerous setting

1:16:55 - DISCORD Q: How does having a comp kid influence the family dynamic?

1:20:02 - DISCORD: How to avoid good results = good vibes only

1:25:31 - DISCORD Q: Do you approve shots of yourself on Erin's Youtube channel :p

1:27:41 - DISCORD Q: How does it feel to be a worse climber than your child?

1:30:49 - Words of wisdom