“I Just Had to Go Back”: Rock Climber Chasing Olympic Dream Narrates His Qualification Tale for Paris 2024

Ever since competitive climbing was added officially to the Olympic Games, stars of the sport have shifted gears to bring out their best. For 18-year-old British climber Toby Roberts, it’s a dream come true to finally achieve his goal on the grandest stage of them all. The Boulder & Lead climber recently made the headlines by qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but his journey hasn’t been an easy one by any means.

In a recent interview cum climbing escapade, the IFSC Sport Climbing World Cup medalist shed light on his career so far and what it took for him to secure a spot at the upcoming Olympics in the French capital. He also talked about how he’s preparing for the imminent tournament and what he’s planning for outdoor climbing in the future.

Olympic aspirations for the climbing star

In a recent YouTube upload by ROAP Coaching, Roberts can be seen sharing some candid moments while he faces a set of grueling challenges. The teenager revealed that his early inkling toward the sport started at home, with his parents being climbers as well, he was exposed to competitive climbing from a fairly early age. He said his route to the Olympics started as a casual after-school program, that soon engulfed his life altogether.

Toby said the World Championships posed new challenges for him, but those weren’t enough to keep him out of the game for too long. Roberts said that it was that moment when he realized that enjoying the game was more important. “I just had to go back to just like enjoying it“, stated the climber.

Toby emphasizes the importance of adapting to different climbing styles, particularly slabs. The discussion delves into Toby’s mental approach to competition climbing, dealing with pressure, and the significance of enjoying the sport. With that, Roberts also said that he approaches every competition differently: some he just wants to enjoy, while others prompt him to train as if his life depended on it. It was this shift in the mentality that ultimately helped him get his ticket to Paris, revealed Roberts.

Adapting parkour style makes him feel like a superhero

During the interview, the hosts asked Toby about his views on parkour type of climbing. To that, the young athlete said that he enjoyed it and said that it came naturally to him. He said that his time spent on the slabs helped him grow as a professional climber and he hoped that the experience would get him an added advantage in the Olympics as well.

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At the end of it all, Roberts mentioned that his relationship with the national coach helped him find joy in his work, which he believes will throttle him to a podium finish at the upcoming Paris event.

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