Daria Brylova

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

I first came to climbing by accident. When I was about 11 years old, I was taken to a climbing competition just as an observer. I watched my friend Jenya Kazbekova win the speed discipline that day, and something clicked. Seeing her winning made me think, “I want to do that too.” From that moment, I knew I wanted to climb and compete.

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

As a teenager, I was really into competition climbing - mostly watching. Back then Mina Markovic and Kim Jain were at the top of the lead discipline, and the way they flowed through the wall inspired me a lot. Over time, my inspirations grew to include many women who push climbing’s limits, like Brooke Raboutou, Janja Garnbret, and Margo Hayes. More recently, Hazel Findlay has become an important role model for me because of her focus on mental training and the psychological side of climbing, which I find deeply meaningful. These days I don’t think of myself as a “role model,” but I do hope that by sharing my own journey I can contribute a little to the same chain of inspiration that motivated me when I was young.

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?

For me, the most important milestones haven’t been single events but more the balance I’ve managed to build. Maintaining a full-time job while still traveling and climbing a lot, and staying connected to who I am and where my place is in life, are things I’m proud of. I don’t necessarily call them “milestones,” but looking back I see them as quiet achievements that shaped the way I live and climb. Another thing I value a lot is co-founding Bicki Tricki Cycki, a women’s climbing community. Creating a safe and supportive space for other women to grow in climbing feels just as meaningful to me as any personal climbing goal.

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

Since I was young, I dreamed of becoming a professional athlete, competing internationally, and proudly representing my country. But without support for young athletes - and with my family and myself unable to afford the travel and professional training it required - I had to step back from that dream. It was a very tough moment, and for a while I thought it might be the end of my climbing journey. Looking back, I consider my biggest comeback the fact that I was able to rediscover my love for climbing in a different way - by finding balance between work and life, and continuing to train and progress with passion. That shift allowed me to stay connected to the sport I love, even without the professional path I once imagined.

What is your favourite climbing-related story / experience?

There are many stories I could choose, but one of the recent and most memorable was a long-awaited work-free trip to Sardinia with my dear friend Karolina. We traveled in her camper van to try Hotel Supramonte, but the car broke down just a few kilometers before the ferry. It felt like the trip might be over before it even started. I convinced Karolina to continue - we rented a car and found an apartment - but it was a hard decision at the time. We spent the days juggling the stress of coordinating car repairs from a distance with the mental and physical challenge of the route itself. In the end, it became a story to remember: a mix of friendship, problem solving, and resilience that taught me a lot more than just climbing moves.