That's Not Real Climbing

Sam is a French boulder and lead climber who has medals from several world cups and competed alongside his sister, Zelia at the Paris Olympics! In this episode, we’ll learn more about what it’s like growing up in a climbing family, tips for climbing as a short king, why he struggled in the 2025 season, and how he self-coaches.

Guest links:
Sam’s Instagram
Guitar Instagram

Reference links:

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
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Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Intro
1:24 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!
2:34 - His mother still competing at 42 years old
7:45 - Getting into climbing and competing
9:31 - AUDIENCE Q: Did growing up in a climbing family add pressure?
12:52 - Struggling between youth and senior circuits
16:51 - Rough 2025 season
22:53 - 2028 Olympics strategy
26:37 - Being a short king
31:34 - AUDIENCE Q: Tips for short kings?
35:41 - Training with the French team
37:51 - AUDIENCE Q: how do you self coach?
41:21 - Training only with climbing
45:21 - Gyms worth visiting in Paris
47:05 - Secrets to French slab
51:37 - AUDIENCE Q: What are you thinking about when climbing?
56:06 - Mental game
58:41 - 2026 goals
1:01:22 - AUDIENCE Q: Playing guitar?
1:04:58 - AUDIENCE Q: Can you make a living climbing?
1:08:40 - AUDIENCE Q: How to gain finger strength?
1:12:23 - AUDIENCE Q: Recovery routine?
1:15:56 - Where to find Sam

Jackie was the routesetting director at the Pro Climbing League (PCL) comp and is also the co-founder of Kilter! In this episode, we’ll learn more about the unique challenges that came with setting for PCL, why she thinks it’s important to have more women setting for women’s comps, and how YOU could maybe try climbing the same exact boulders set at PCL.

Guest links:
Kiter’s Website
Jackie’s Instagram
Pro Climbing League Website
Kilter Youtube

Reference links:
Underrated hold

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
1:20 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!
2:00 - Still cleaning up from PCL
5:42 - Interesting Kilter free-standing option
7:34 - Getting into climbing, setting, and Kilter
13:38 - The political path to becoming an IFSC setter
15:34 - Starting the Woman Up Comps
20:00 - What grade do you need to climb to be a route setter?
22:31 - AUDIENCE Q: How did you build the PCL routesetting team?
28:46 - What made setting different for PCL
32:09 - How to get separation
36:30 - AUDIENCE Q: Was this speed bouldering, was women's setting too easy?
41:57 - Is sanding down holds fair?!
43:47 - Why it's hard to calibrate for female competitors
51:16 - How boulder changeover worked
55:37 - The slab that didn't get shown
58:24 - Different competition strategies
1:03:27 - AUDIENCE Q: Harder to gauge setting than World Cup?
1:04:18 - AUDIENCE Q: Did the setting matter more than a World Cup?
1:07:04 - AUDIENCE Q: Mixed gender events in the future?
1:09:13 - AUDIENCE Q: idea - 2 betas per boulder?
1:11:12 - AUDIENCE Q: Are setters more impressed or annoyed by beta breaks?
1:17:23 - AUDIENCE Q: What makes Kilter stand out?
1:22:30 - Underrated hold?
1:25:02 - Shoutouts and long work hours
1:26:51 - YOU can reset the PCL climbs and experience them!

Mickael is a french boulderer and he is the bouldering world champ from Bern 2023. In this episode, we have an extremely honest conversation about how growing up poor motivated him to make money as a climber, why he stuck with climbing despite the lack of financial prospects, what his training looks like which includes warming up with 80 pull-ups, and of course, what happened during the Bern world champ finals. Shoutout to Madrock for hosting this interview at their headquarters!

Guest links:
Mickael’s Instagram

Reference links:
Climbing with Jonathan Sin Video

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
Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!
3:46 - Starting climbing with his brother Bassa
7:45 - AUDIENCE Q: Being one of the few black climbers in the IFSC
13:39 - Affording climbing when growing up poor
24:31 - Pro climbing only pays enough for the present
28:10 - Why he would not choose climbing in hindsight
30:51 - Why he still chose climbing
34:34 - AUDIENCE Q: Will you ever compete again in the IFSC?
38:33 - The goal: be rich
45:25 - Bern World Champs finals boulders
53:26 - Encountering no-tex for the first time ever
1:01:59 - Mickael's crazy pull up training
1:06:12 - How to work on your technique
1:11:47 - The secret to French slab
1:14:28 - Why he trains alone
1:21:59 - Keeping up with the evolution of climbing
1:25:44 - His future in climbing?
1:31:01 - New climbing goal
1:33:38 - AUDIENCE Q: Who were your role models growing up?
1:34:46 - AUDIENCE Q: What's your family like?
1:39:28 - AUDIENCE Q: How to maintain strength without getting injured?
1:44:50 - Where to find Mickael

Mo is a paraclimber in the AU2 class, and she is trying to qualify for the 2028 Paralympics! She has been climbing for over 22 years and had actually retired from competing…until hearing about the Paralympics. In this episode, we’ll learn more about what it’s like climbing with a stump, whether outdoor, indoor, or comp setting is most friendly to her impairment, we’ll talk about petty drama in the community, and what sport shopping is in the Paralympics.

Guest links:
Mo’s Instagram
Mo’s Website

Reference links:

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
Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Intro
1:18 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!
1:59 - Lifting at a bro-y gym
3:28 - The 'stump' impairment
7:40 - Getting into climbing and competing
13:39 - Thoughts on gym setting for her stump
22:10 - Becoming a real sport means drama
28:16 - "Training" back then vs real training now
29:29 - World Cup appearances 2026 and 2027
30:55 - What we know about Paralympics qualifications
32:18 - How the Paralympics have changed paraclimbing
35:49 - Paralympic "Sport shopping"
38:09 - Heartbreak over which sport classes got chosen for the Paralympics
42:17 - What her training will look like to qualify at 39 years old
46:44 - Audience Q: What does the process look like to qualify for Paralympics?
48:59 - Dealing with comp nerves
50:49 - Is outdoor climbing more friendly for her stump?
52:38 - Outdoor projects and first ascents
58:00 - AUDIENCE Q: Favorite comp memory?
1:01:02 - AUDIENCE Q: Podium cupcake story?
1:03:20 - AUDIENCE Q: Getting sponsored by North Face and tips for getting sponsors
1:06:20 - Words of wisdom and where to find Mo

Rachel is a Team GB coach and also Erin McNeice’s personal coach! She started as an athlete and competed in youth worlds, but moved down the coaching path shortly after. In this episode, we’ll talk about performance anxiety as an athlete, the difficulties she faced being taken seriously as a young female coach, and we’ll get insight into team GB’s training as well as Erin’s insanely huge team of coaches.

Guest links:
Rachel’s Instagram
Rachel’s Youtube

Reference links:

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
Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Intro
1:23 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!
2:03 - Getting ready for British Bouldering Champs
4:41 - Performance anxiety as an athlete
8:59 - Being "realistic" on your performance
13:46 - Becoming a coach
15:44 - AUDIENCE Q: Difference between coaching youth vs senior?
20:48 - Weirdness of coaching your past competition
23:47 - Lack of trust in female coaches
31:44 - AUDIENCE Q: What advice would you give to aspiring female coaches?
34:29 - Erin's crazy huge team of coaches!
40:23 - Team GB's philosophy on training style
43:48 - Erin's 1 weird weakness...
45:47 - Overrated and underrated training techniques?
50:17 - Climbing goals
53:57 - What's better than coaching at the Olympics?
56:44 - AUDIENCE Q: Why was GB Climbing funding so bad?
58:43 - AUDIENCE Q: Team GB is so strong right now, how has that impacted camaraderie amongst athletes?
1:03:05 - AUDIENCE Q: How do you coach the mental side of competition?
1:07:53 - AUDIENCE Q: How do you think new comps like PCL will impact the scene for athletes and coaches?
1:10:05 - AUDIENCE Q: Tips for new coaches?
1:12:47 - Where to find Rachel