Brooke Raboutou

USA Olympic Rock CLimber

“Have fun while you are doing it. These days there are a lot of hard working athletes, which is so important, but sometimes take the time to just enjoy your sport for your sport.” - Brooke Raboutou

I got to talk with the first USA Olympic Athlete for rock climbing. Brooke Raboutou is a young women who has been at the top of the sport of rock climber from a very young age. She grew up in a rock climbing family with her parents being world class and champion rock climbers. She has been setting records since she was 9 years old and their seems to be no slowing down as she prepares for the Tokyo Olympics.

Brooke took me bouldering at her family gym in Colorado and taught me a few things about rock climbing. She has a great head on her shoulders and understands the value of family, education, hard work, and so much more. In this episode we talked about her life as a college student and olympian and how she finds her balance. She gives great insight and advice to young people aspiring to excel in sport, as well as giving parents some perspective and advice on how to manage their kids through that process and making sure they still love the sport they are in and have room to flourish. You will see her passion for the sport and life as she talks about climbing and shares the things that give her the ability to compete at the very top of the sport.

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SHOW NOTES

Check out Brooke at the following: Instagram | Facebook

Questions Chris asks:

8:45 - What was it like growing up?
13:15 - How do you prepare for a climbing event and the unknown?
15:10 - Without time to prepare how do you get the most out of the unknown?
16:45 - How did you find drive and successful at such a young age?
18:00 - What brought you to competitive climbing versus just free climbing?
19:40 - What was it like to qualify for the Olympics?
22:40 - What was the experience like realizing the Olympics was canceled and then postponed?
24:45 - What is your typical day of training like?
27:00 - What is something about yourself that most people don't know?
28:00 - What are your goals in the next year and 5 years?
29:55 - What song would describe you?
31:40 - What is your greatest fear?
34:00 - What do you define as success?
35:00 - Who is your idol that you look up to?
35:50 - What advice would you give parents of kids that are aspiring to be great athletes?
38:20 - What advice would you give to young athletes that have dreams to pursue sport?
43:45 - What are you most grateful for right now and this moment?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

9:11 - What it was like growing up in a family full of champion rock climbers
10:25 - Her love for climbing for herself in this ever changing time
11:30 - The different types of climbing from bouldering to competitive climbing
13:35 - How Brooke prepares for an event mentally and physically
15:45 - why she needs to be good at all three disciplines in climbing especially for the Olympics
17:15 - Where Brooke’s drive and love for the sport comes from
18:20 - Brooke’s thoughts on growing up free climbing and competitive climbing and what that was like. How she sees being on a team and not just solo sport
20:00 - Her desire and drive to become an Olympic athlete and her experience qualifying for Tokyo
21:10 - How focusing on an event right in front of you can get you what you want instead of focusing on the larger goal
22:00 - Brooke’s perspective on climbing for herself versus climbing for a reward
23:10 - How she dealt with the cancellation and postponement of the Olympics
24:00 - Training at home during quarantine and how she stays motivated
25:00 - How she's balancing school, training, and her daily routine
27:45 - How she is taking time to focus on improving her climbing and skills .
28:55 - Brooke talks about what she wants to do after competitive climbing and her love for the sport and education
30:10 - What songs describe her life as a child and today
31:00 - What she's grateful for in growing up in her family and today
32:00 - Brooke talks about her fears
32:25 - How she balances climbing and school
34:14 - What characteristics of a successful person or athlete and how she's learning from them
36:10 - Brooke’s message to parents and keeping their kids inspired and loving what they do for the right reasons
37:30 - Brooke’s love for the sport and how she deals with days that she doesn't feel like climbing
38:40 - The importance of always enjoying the process, and enjoying and loving what you're doing in the moment
39:30 - What were the biggest movers in the last 12 months in Brooke’s growth in the sport
40:00 - The importance of mental approach and aspect to life and training
42:50 - How she loves what she's doing even in the failures / having fun in failure