Sends And Suffers

Elliott Nguyen says that as a second-generation Vietnamese-American, queer, transgender climber, when he first started climbing he didn’t meet many people who looked like him. But, he found a sense of belonging in the adaptive climbing community.

Elliott is often on the podiums of both National and World Para Climbing Championships, and is on the board of ParaCliffhangers. He's also a grad student in social work at UC Berkeley, and hopes to work in mental health counseling focusing on the healing power of outdoor recreation.

Elliott has a degenerative motor neuron disease that can make dynamic climbing moves difficult. And with the spasticity caused by this condition, he is no stranger to "Elvis-legging" on a route. In fact he says, sometimes he's just "Elvis-legging through life". But, more importantly, he's found a style of climbing that suits his movement -- trad climbing. We'll pick up the conversation with Elliot describing how he got into trad and why it's such a good fit for him. 

You can follow him on IG with:@nguyen.elliott

Elliott helps to run the Touchstone Chapter of ParaCliffhangers. Watch a video about the program here.

Emeline Lakrout is a para climber and disability rights activist. She's been legally blind since childhood and has competed on the US National Para Climbing Team since 2022. Currently based out of NYC, she works as a marketer in the consumer products industry, and uses that expertise to consult brands on disability inclusion on the side. Among other things, her consultation focuses on disability language.

She’s worked on disability awareness campaigns, legislative lobbying, and as a community mentor --She is a force to be reckoned with. Her life's mission, she says, “is to fight for the rights, dignity, and joy of every single disabled person.”

She's an ambassador for the National Ability Center and a member of the ParaCliffhangers. In our conversation we get into some of the history of disability rights, and the importance of language as it can shape the image or idea of a community -- and how our language can impact how we see ourselves. 

Resources for show notes:

University Interscholastic League in TX

Adaptive Climbing Group

ParaCliffhangers

Catalyst Sports

Paradox Sports

National Ability Center

Degree Gym Accessibility PDF

Climbing Business Journal Article [Accessibility]

Climbing Business Journal Article [VI Accessibility]

Adaptive Climbers Fest

- Indoor Blind Climbing Video

- Outdoor Blind Climbing Video

- The headset company that Emeline uses

Emeline’s instagram: Instagram.com/EmelineClimbs

In this episode you’ll hear an excerpt from my conversation with Amruta Wyssman, who goes by Amy. She started bouldering in 2018, and by 2021 she was helping to start the Swiss Paraclimbing team. Before climbing, Amy was into all kinds of snow sports. So, we talked about the similarities between different outdoor sports, like climbing, snowboarding, horseback riding…ect. These sports are slowly making their way into the Olympics and Paralympics. So, we get into how being presented on a world stage is changing these sports – Paraclimbing included, even though the community is still waiting on an official announcement about its incorporation into the LA 2028 Para Games (as of the date we recorded this episode). 

In this episode, we hear from Jared Lenahan, a US Navy Veteran. He was a combat medic for the Marine Corps known as a Fleet Marine Force Corpsman. After an accident overseas in 2014, he found himself going from climber to paraclimber.

He used adaptive climbing as an integral part of his recovery and has competed as a US Paraclimbing Team Athlete for four years. Jared is also an ambassador for both the National Ability Center and Move United (a Warfighter ambassador for MU). Because the outdoor adaptive community has been so critical to his personal recovery, he started a program to help other wounded warriors get reintegrated into community through adaptive climbing.

This program called “Climbable” introduces warriors to the adaptive sports community before they lose their military community and shows them a streamlined path to transition from recovery to the rest of their lives.

In this interview, Jared and I talk about disability identity, imposter syndrome, addiction, and how climbing as a through-line in his life has guided his life decisions — especially the decision to start Climbable. We recorded this conversation in early 2024 with Jared hoping to officially launch the program by the summer of 2024.

Join us in a conversation with Houston-based coach, Dru Stulb, in this episode of Sends and Suffers. Host Mario Stanley and Dru discuss climbing evolution, coaching, and personal growth. Learn about Dru's journey from enthusiast to coach, the role of climbing coaches, and their impact on the sport.

Discover the joys of coaching, challenges faced, and the rewards of seeing athletes grow. We also discuss the socio-economic challenges facing aspiring climbers, personal struggles, and the role of coaches in shaping expectations and growth.

Finally, learn about unique teaching methods, understanding individual goals, and the power of a transformative community in sport. This episode is a deep dive into the heart of coaching and its influence on shaping the future of climbing culture.

Welcome to this special episode of the Sends and Suffers podcast. Join host Mario Stanley as he engages with the passionate climbers and industry experts at the Indoor Climbing Expo. Hear the thrilling stories of their experiences, organizations, and their substantial roles in shaping and supporting diverse climbing communities.

Click here to find Katie Joe Myers

Pete Woods walks you through the thrilling world of climbing. A highly respected ESPN climbing broadcaster and experienced youth coach, Pete provides a fascinating glimpse into his climbing journey's exhilarating heights and challenging lows.

Pete shares his early days of climbing passion that fueled him to coach young climbers. Pete's unwavering enthusiasm for the sport and commitment to the climbing community is palpable from coaching to broadcasting. He discusses how his coaching experience has honed his skills as a sports commentator, providing invaluable ability to explain the sport’s intricacies to a broad audience.

Pete also delves into some surprising revelations about his approach to coaching. He shares his enjoyable experiences of coaching renowned climbers like Sean McCall and Jason Holloway during the youth world championships. Hear about his emphasis on understanding complex movements and the joy he experienced in seeing them grow and excel.