Jana Müller

When and how did you get into climbing? What keeps you interested? What fascinates you?

I started climbing in the gym in 2008 and was immediately so excited that I spent every second day there. Among other things, I was always thrilled that you can become very good at climbing if you practice hard, without the need of much money. I love the variety of movements and the interesting mix of strength and technique. Especially on the rocks, there are often many different solutions for a climbing passage and I love to puzzle so long, until I have found an individual solution to the problem.

Who were your childhood heroes?

Pippi Langstrumpf (it's a German children book character). Since she is able to carry a horse, I assume that she is perfectly able to climb the 10 grade routes too.
A bit more climbing-specific I see Beth Rodden as a model on the rock, because her smile and her pioneer spirit inspired me to climb. When it comes to bouldering it is Juliane Wurm whom I admire, because of her extreme strong performance and she makes a very healthy mental and physical impression on me.

Do you consider yourself a role model now? Does it influence you at all that other people look up to you?

I am particularly happy when I can be a role model for other women and girls. I always try to support them when I can and often learn something from them in return.

What have been the most important milestones in your life so far, both in climbing and in everyday life? And did you recognize them immediately as such or only later on?

A friend has his hair cut very short and when I asked him why, he said he wanted to enter a lower weight class as he wanted to start the European Championship in Jiujitsu. I've known him for a long time and also well, which is why I wondered why he had never told me about doing a sport at a high level. He answered, "Why should I tell that? I am doing it for myself!" This is a healthy attitude that I will always try to keep as an example.

What were your greatest failures / setbacks / injuries? How did you cope with them and how did you come back from them?

Ever since I started climbing, I've always been aiming to climb a 10 at some point. Three years later, on the last day of my vacation, when I fell out of the very easy exit area of my first 10, I roared the whole valley together. I was in a bad mood all day. Fortunately, a few weeks later in a spontaneous holiday, I was able to finish it. Since then, I have never been so annoyed again while climbing and I do not intend to do that either. Luckily I have not had any major injuries and setbacks so far.

What is your favourite climbing-related story / experience?

My first holiday in the Franconian Switzerland was the most beautiful climbing experience I had, since it was my first self-organized holiday in nature with my friends and a lot of rockst o climb. This was a start of a completely new life quality for me.

Do you have a strict training schedule for when and how you train throughout the year?

I do train in the gym in winter time. There I am able to do very specific climbing strenght training and used to boulder a lot, as this makes much more sense to me there than rope climbing.
In summertime I change to rope climbing and try my strenght in the difficult routes on the rock. I stick a little bit longer on difficult routes and therefore improve my streght and technique.

What advice can you give to others looking to improve their training routine?

Use your weaknesses as chances to develop yourself and practice them purposefully. Look for nice training partners, that is always a motivation! Reward yourself, once you achieve something, take care of yourself so that you stay mentally and physically healthy and enjoy climbing for a long time.

Can anyone theoretically be able to jump from a 10 meter high rock into the river or do you have to be born for it?

I think the stimulation has to fit, everyone can do it, but most people will not, because they see no profit in it. Personally, I am someone who has to do this on a regular basis so as not to get too stressed.
I actually I have projects every season. Some routes I try but succeed to finish them many years later. These long-term projects I find particularly interesting because they serve as a benchmark for my performance development. If I can do one of these, I know: I developed myself. That satisfies me very much.

How important is it to set goals in professional sports? What are your goals? What targets are you working towards for your climbing and in life?

The most important thing for me is not how possible the goal is, but whether the route that I set myself as a destination is really so enthusiastic that I want to keep climbing it over and over again. If that's the case, I do not care how long it will take me to get it done. The route is the goal.

How do you deal with extremely hard climbing problems? Do you ever get frustrated and give up on them? Or do they motivate you even more?

For me, the main problem is often finding out how I can manage it with my height, as I often travel with larger climbing partners whose moves are too large for me. When I find it out, I try to climb the route with fewer "hangers" and so far that it has led to the automatic passage