Alessia Mabboni

When and how did you get into climbing and what kept you interested / fascinated in the sport?

being born into a family of climbers, I probably wore shoes and harness even before I could walk. Despite all the weekends at the crag, my love for this sport blossomed much later. Until I was 6 years old, I didn't consider the idea of ​​climbing at all and in my future there was only dance. Then overnight I decided to stop at one of my siblings' training and I understood that this was my destiny. The feeling of freedom that I felt that afternoon is the same that still today leads me to overcome my limits and to challenge the force of gravity more and more

Who was your childhood hero and do you consider yourself a role model now? Does it influence you at all that other people look up to you?

My first heroes ever were Alex Puccio and Sean Mccoll who dominated every edition of the Rock Master when I was little. Today I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Brooke Raboutou.I love her climbing but above all her always positive attitude towards life. 

Sometimes it happened that some girls came to me and told me that I was their idol and that one day they wanted to become like me, but I am still convinced they were joking;)

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

I’m a girl who dreams big and is never satisfied and for this reason I don’t feel that I have still reached some great milestones in my life. What I am most proud of are definitely last year's World Youth Championships and the participation in my first two World Cups.

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

In 2019 I had a severe inflammation in my wrists and the doctor told me that my career was over, but stubborn as I’m I didn’t believe him: how could it have already finished that had not even started?! In those years I was a boulderer, but I realized that bouldering was too invasive for my wrists and so my dad suggested that I try climbing a bit on the rock. Thus began my great love for lead and rock climbing since up until that moment I didn't want to know about wearing a harness. Moments like these in the life of an athlete are just around the corner, but they are also those that make you grow more than any training and that make you realize how important all this is for you.

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

I honestly don't have a very strict training plan. I love climbing and for this 90% of my training is on the wall. When I am in the competition period I focus more on quality by climbing in as many gyms as possible, especially for bouldering, but I never abandon rock climbing which for me is essential to be able to maintain a physical and above all mental balance

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

enjoy, enjoy and enjoy! It sounds like bullshit, but trust that if you add this little detail to your training, everything will change. Obviously you also need a lot of training to get better and my advice is definitely to vary as much as possible and above all do not forget about the rock!

What do you think of indoor climbing gyms in relation to climbing on actual rock?

In my opinion, indoor and outdoor climbing work very well together. Both are able to make you grow on completely different aspects, but which when combined together lead you to have an incredible wealth of experience.

Are you able to do a one-arm pull-up? How about a single finger?

I’ve sometimes tried to do a one arm pull up but I’d say that I’m still very far, let alone with a finger

Is it possible for anybody to eventually perform a one-armed pull-up or get to the top of the Eiger/Matterhorn, or do you really have to be born for it?

I believe in talent but I also believe in hard training and for this reason I think that everyone can get where they want if they really want to

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

For me it is essential to have specific goals both in climbing and in life. They help me stay focused and motivated even when everything doesn't seem to be going the way I want it to. I personally have many goals, especially for the distant future, many of which have nothing to do with climbing. I wrote them all in a note on the phone and every now and then I reread them but let's say that for now I prefer to keep them for myself :)

Okay okay I feel kind and I'll reveal only two of them: Paris 2024 and teaching third world children to read

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

I’m a ram, this means that I hardly give up. To be honest if it is a virtue or a defect I don’t know but the fact is that as long as something doesn’t come to me I won’t move from there.