Ambassador Q & A: Flora Froese

Flora Froese is Pinnacle's youngest Ambassador, joining the team as a super strong youth competitor. She has recently finished high school and is now pushing into the Open categories at state and national level competitions.

 

1. When and why/how did you start climbing?

I’ve always loved climbing, but only discovered rock climbing in 2015 at my local climbing gym. I fell in love with it and have been climbing almost daily since.

 

Flora working a route at Flinders Cave - photo by Adam West

 

2. What is your favourite style of climbing?

My favourite style of climbing is bouldering. It’s a very raw form of climbing and I love the problem solving that comes with it.  

 

3. How has the climbing world changed since you started climbing?

In the past couple of years climbing has gained massive popularity and, subsequently, gyms and crags are way more crowded than they used to be. I think this really highlights the need to ensure our care for the environment we use when climbing.

 

4. Can you talk about one highlight and one lowlight of your climbing life?

My highlight would have to be my experience competing at the 2019 bouldering world cup in Switzerland, which really stood out as the pinnacle of my competition experiences. My lowlight in climbing would be my experiences competing when I'm sick or injured, it can be hard to step back and allow my body time to recover 

 

Competing at the 2019 Bouldering World Cup in Swizterland - photo by David Schweizer

 

5. What are some of your goals for 2020, both climbing and non-climbing?

My goals for 2020 are mainly to enjoy my climbing and send some of my projects, and I'm looking forward to starting university this year and seeing what the next chapter of my education brings.

 

6. What made you want to start competing?

Early on in my climbing my dad showed me a video of Brooke Raboutou climbing in a comp. It blew my mind that somebody my age could compete at that level, and really inspired me to work my hardest and get involved with local competitions.

 

7. What does your typical week look like?

I typically train 5 days every week and coach 3 days a week. Ever since I started climbing, I have had to juggle it with high school and part time work, so now that I am starting university I’m looking forward to having a more flexible schedule to fit my climbing into. 

 

8. What does the introduction of climbing to the Olympics mean to you?

The introduction of climbing to the Olympics is a massive step forward for the sport and is expanding the reach of the climbing community.

 

9. How do you balance training with just wanting to have fun climbing?

I think the easiest way to balance this is to make your training fun, and something you look forward to. For me the best way to do this is training with friends, which can make even the most tedious training routines feel enjoyable.

 

10. What do you think makes the difference between a good climber and a great climber?

What makes a climber great is someone who is willing to push themselves beyond what's comfortable and can really push the boundaries of their body to find out what's possible.

 

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