Career Highlights

  • 2. Place European Open Innsbruck Bouldering 2018

  • 2. Place World Youth Championships Combined 2016

  • 1. Place European University Games Bouldering and Combined 2022 

Favorite places to live / climb / visit:

Favorite place to live: Innsbruck (Austria)
To climb: Zillertal, Ötztal, Arco, Fontainebleau, Ceüse 

Favorite type of climbing (bouldering, sports climbing, trad, etc.): 

Bouldering and sports climbing 

What most people don't know about me: 

I’m the only climber in my family. 

    Interview

    • Climbing

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

      I started climbing on trees in kindergarten and my parents decided I need to learn about the danger of heights so they signed me into a climbing course. Since then, climbing has been my passion and a very big part of my life. Competitions, all those amazing moves, rock climbing and the whole community kept me interested and fascinated throughout these years. 

      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?

      I don’t really have a childhood hero. 

      I have been coaching children for a while now and it makes me happy and proud to be their role model. Of course, I act differently when I´m aware that people look up to me. It does have a positive influence on me for sure. 

      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?

      Obviously finishing school was a big milestone in my life but moving to Innsbruck for climbing was even bigger. Another amazing step was when I started coaching alongside climbing and while I didn´t quite realize it at the time, I’m now more than happy with my decision. 

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

      My biggest injury so far was a bone marrow oedema in my femoral head. It was anything but easy to cope with this injury especially as it was during covid. It took me about six months to finally be able to climb hard again, especially to try hard blocs. To this day I struggle when trying hard bouldering moves on the top of the wall. 

      What is your favorite climbing related story / experience? 

      My favorite climbing experiences were of course comps and training camps. 

       

    • Training

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

      I have been in the sport long enough to know the basics about when to train what throughout the year. As for my weekly agenda I like to go with the flow and make sure I complete my key sessions. 

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

      Knowledge goes a long way. Inform yourself, get help if you need to and be brave to try new stuff. But most importantly remember that everyone is different and it is okay to stick to what works for you. 

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

      I grew up with indoor climbing and started climbing outside later on. So for me climbing gyms are really important and I love the style of the boulders and routes. As a comp climber indoor climbing and comp moves are the key things for me so they play a very important role in my training routine. I still love climbing outside and spending time with my friends there. The rock for sure gives you something the gym can’t give you so I’m really grateful to be able to do both. 

       

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

      No

      How much of the success as a pro climber is due to show and how much due to actual climbing skill?

      The ability to present oneself is for sure important in order to be able score sponsorship deals and gain popularity. Still most professional climbers will focus on their climbing skills and thus their performances more as in a professional sports environment it is only natural aiming to be the best. 

    • Psychology

      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 think you don’t need the talent to perform such things but you for sure need to be born with the right will. For a few really talented people it is maybe possible to do such things without much effort but if you aren’t talented you need to really train hard and want it. 

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

      Goals help you to stay motivated but shouldn´t be the main reason you started. That would be the love for your sport in general. However, make sure that while your goals should challenge you, they also shouldn´t be unrealistic. 

      I have different goals in all various aspects of my life not just in climbing. And even in climbing I set myself all kinds of goals like training goals, comp goals or just personal goals. Most importantly I want to live my passion and pass it on to the next generation. 

      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?

      I really like the challenge so at the beginning it’s never a big problem for me. If you try something for a longer period, it’s normal to get frustrated sometimes. But you should try to focus on the small steps forward. Once you to that it’s way easier to become motivated again and try hard. 

      Sometimes it also helps to try something else in between and come bake another time. 

    • Future of climbing

      Is there anything you would like to change about the current developments in climbing?

      Currently climbing is facing many issues related to eating disorders. The issue is that often skinnier means better performance at least for a short while. However, many times it results in unhealthy behavior, isn´t sustainable and causes long term issues. Prevention would make a huge difference and make the sport more sustainable for many athletes. 

      Where do you see the sport going in the next years, what will change and what is your role going to be in it?

      Climbing generally becomes more and more popular over time and now people from all over the world are climbing and competing. This obviously is due to climbing being an Olympic sport now. 

      After my active career I’ll for sure continue coaching as well as climbing inside and outside which makes it pretty clear that climbing will always be a really important part of my life.