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.

There is an EXTRA FULL-LENGTH EPISODE available with Tom on Patreon available to members only: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

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Reference links:

Wedge Climbing

Janja Unfiltered Period Talk

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Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Intro/Recovering from knee surgery

5:49 - Starting climbing + competing + coaching

10:20 - How he got BANNED from the USA

13:18 - How to get into coaching now

18:57 - Thoughts on Instagram coaching + current training philosophies

25:50 - Coaching Shauna Coxsey into the Olympics

34:15 - Why Team GB found such great form in 2024

37:12 - What makes Toby and Erin stand out from the rest

39:12 - Difference between coaching individually vs acting as head coach

40:56 - How GB training camps work

44:30 - Athlete consistency during comps + period cycles

53:45 - Why he quit as head coach of GB

1:01:32 - Dealing with a toxic climbing community

1:08:38 - The most difficult parts of coaching

1:10:56 - Favorite/least favorite travel moments on the circuit

1:14:59 - Recommendation to other coaches on stress management

1:17:25 - The future of comp climbing + athlete money

1:22:45 - "Coaching people to their own individual Olympics"

1:26:45 - Tom's future

1:28:22 - Discord Q: Does cohesion in a national team make a difference?

1:30:48 - Discord Q: Did individual coaching ever interfere with your work as national team coach?

1:32:54 - Final thoughts + where to find Tom