The Struggle Climbing Show

Melina Costanza

Elite climber Melina Costanza shares her struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. 
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Melina has been a household name in the youth competition circuit for over a decade. She’s a two-time Youth National Champion and three-time Collegiate National Champion, and has consistently been a member of the US Team every year since 2010. After some time away from climbing to earn her physics degree at UPenn, it was no surprise when she showed up again as an undeniably dominant force on the Open circuit. Winning every North America Cup she entered in both the Lead and Bouldering disciplines, she rounded out the year as the 2021 US Bouldering National Champion. At the 2022 US National Team Trials, Melina took gold in Lead, and secured her spots on the Lead National Team, Bouldering National Team, and Boulder & Lead Combined National Team. In summary, she’s wicked good. And as insightful as this chat is with regard to training and performance… the reason it’s one of my favorite interviews ever is how real and raw and challenging and beautiful this conversation is as Melina opens up for the first time on her struggles with disordered eating and its insidious nature on so many in the comp world. This conversation is layered with insight, humor, struggle, emotion, beta, and and stoke. 
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Petzl is the official gear sponsor of The Struggle. Check out their amazing products, including their Djinn quickdraws, at your local gear shop and learn more at petzl.com.
 
PhysiVantage is the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Visit www.physivantage.com/discount/STRUGGLE15 to receive 15% off your full priced nutrition order. 
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The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. 
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Want to be a podcast hero and score yourself some rad limited edition swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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CHAPTERS:
Struggle: 0:06:04
Training: 0:11:53
Nutrition: 0:27:26
Tactics: 0:46:47
Mental Game: 0:55:40
Purpose: 1:02:36
Takeaways: 1:08:22
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow, and @melinacostanza
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Still reading? You deserve a free sticker: Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review, post to IG, and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
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This episode was produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry. 
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The struggle makes you stronger. Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!
 
 

Matt Fultz

Elite climber Matt Fultz shares his struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. 
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Matt is one of the world’s strongest and most accomplished climbers. He has topped multiple V16s – Grand Illusion, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Hypnotized Minds, and Sleepwalker (whaaaaat?!?!). What’s perhaps more impressive than how hard Matt pulls, is how hard he tries and how dedicated he is to his craft. This guy knows how to project, and has a lot of insight on the subject. Speaking of insight, Matt knows how to coach… because he is one. Alongside his wife Hailey, they run a performance coaching business called OTG Strength where they create custom training and nutrition plans for climbers looking to level up. This convo is packed with useful beta, whether you’re trying hard on V1 or V-double digits.
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PhysiVantage is the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Visit www.physivantage.com/discount/STRUGGLE15 to receive 15% off your full priced nutrition order. 
 
Petzl is the official gear sponsor of The Struggle. Check out their amazing products, including the Hirundos harness, at your local gear shop and learn more at petzl.com.
 
This episode is sponsored by FrictionLabs (Matt's chalk of choice!). No fillers, made in the US, and the best you can get. Chalk up less and climb more with FrictionLabs! Visit www.frictionlabs.com and enter code STRUGGLE20 at checkout for 20% off your first order.
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The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. 
-
Want to be a podcast hero and score yourself some rad limited edition swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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CHAPTERS:
Struggle: 0:07:54
Training: 0:11:24
Nutrition: 0:19:37
Tactics: 0:31:17
Mental Game: 0:39:45
Purpose: 0:44:53
Takeaways: 0:55:01
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow, and @matt_fultz
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Still reading? You deserve a free sticker: Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review, post to IG, and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry. 
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The struggle makes us stronger. Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!
 
 

Maiza Lima

Elite climber Maiza Lima shares her struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. 
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Maiza grew up in a small village in Brazil, escaped poverty with her mother, and spent a decade cleaning houses in the Seattle area to make ends meet in pursuit of the American Dream... which ultimately led her to climbing. Maiza fell in love with climbing and almost immediately started sending hard sport grades, but she didn’t stop there. When routes weren’t available, she bolted her own, and continues to give back to the sport as a developer, guide, and mentor. Maiza is super strong, climbing into the 5.13s, but she’s also candid with her struggles – from a fear of falling, to a lack of confidence, to the challenges of not having a reliable belay partner. Her journey is simultaneously unique and relatable, as she shares her struggles and breakthroughs with her ever-present and infectious smile. 
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PhysiVantage is the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Visit www.physivantage.com/discount/STRUGGLE15 to receive 15% off your full priced nutrition order. 
 
Petzl is the official gear sponsor of The Struggle. Check out their amazing products, including the Hirundos harness, at your local gear shop and learn more at petzl.com.
 
This episode is sponsored by FrictionLabs. No fillers, made in the US, and the best you can get. Chalk up less and climb more with FrictionLabs! Visit www.frictionlabs.com and enter code STRUGGLE20 at checkout for 20% off your first order.
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The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. 
-
Want to be a podcast hero and score yourself some rad limited edition swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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CHAPTERS:
Struggle: 0:06:33
Training: 0:08:14
Nutrition: 0:17:53
Tactics: 0:25:38
Mental Game: 0:36:26
Purpose: 0:47:33
Takeaways: 0:59:36
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow, and @maizalimarock
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Still reading? You deserve a free sticker: Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review, post to IG, and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
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This show is produced by Ryan Devlin and Mary Mathis, and is hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry. 
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The struggle makes you stronger. Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!
 
 

Pro Clinic: Endurance with Dru Mack (Free Preview)

Dru Mack, one of the foremost experts on endurance climbing, takes us to school with this Pro Clinic as he identifies common pitfalls and shares tips for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced climbers to level up their endurance training and beat the pump to the chains. The professor of pump is in the building!
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This show is sponsored by Patrons of The Struggle. Enjoy all the Patron perks by coming aboard at any level. Learn more at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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CHAPTERS:
Catching Up: 0:02:16
Endurance Overview: 0:12:31
Beginner: 0:19:08
Intermediate: 0:25:30
Advanced: 0:40:13
Additional Takeaways for All Levels: 0:51:14
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow and @drumack5.
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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry. 
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The struggle makes us stronger. Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!
 
 

Live at Rocktoberfest!

A panel of elite climbers and coaches share their struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. 
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Elite climbers Mo Beck, Matt Segal, Sam Elias, Dru Mack, and coach Eric Horst have come together to present a mini-masterclass on training and performance before a psyched audience at Rocktoberfest. Check your knots, grab a cold one, and join us in the hanger for some truth bombs!
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PhysiVantage is the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Visit www.physivantage.com/discount/STRUGGLE15 to receive 15% off your full priced nutrition order. 
 
Petzl is the official gear sponsor of The Struggle. Check out their amazing products, including the Djinn Axess quickdraws, at your local gear shop and learn more at petzl.com.
-
The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. 
-
Want to be a podcast hero and score yourself some rad limited edition swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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CHAPTERS:
Struggle: 0:06:00
Training: 0:10:02
Nutrition: 0:19:52
Tactics: 0:28:44
Mental Game: 0:43:58
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow, and the wonderful panelists from today: @mo.in.mountians, @mattsegal, @bookofsamuel, @drumack5 and @eric_horst
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Still reading? You deserve a free sticker: Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review, post to IG, and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
-
This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry. 
-
Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!
 
 

Allison Vest

Elite climber Allison Vest shares her struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. 
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Allison Vest has been a force on plastic, rock, and social media. Allison was the Canadian National Boulder Champion in 2018 and 2020, and the National Lead Champion in 2019. Recently she has stepped back from the comp circuit to focus on bouldering outdoors, where she has topped out some serious rigs, including V13s Masterpiece and Blackout at Joe’s, the first female ascent of V13 The Terminator in Squamish, and the FFA of V14 Show Your Scars. She also occasionally wears a rope to claim some hard sport sends, including the FFA on the 14a test piece, Throwin' The Houlihan at Wild Iris. Beyond climbing you’ve no doubt been highly entertained by Allison’s IG feats of strength and parlor tricks which are mind blowing… along with her thoughtful posts on women in sports and body image, which have found a way to cut through internet noise and resonate with millions in the climbing community and beyond. Allison and I hit the ground running in this interview, which is packed with relatable struggles, actionable insights, and a good dose of not taking ourselves too seriously.
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PhysiVantage is the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Visit www.physivantage.com/discount/STRUGGLE15 to receive 15% off your full priced nutrition order. 
 
Petzl is the official gear sponsor of The Struggle. Check out their amazing products, including the Hirundos harness, at your local gear shop and learn more at petzl.com.
-
The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. 
-
Want to be a podcast hero and score yourself some rad limited edition swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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CHAPTERS:
Struggle: 0:06:46
Training: 0:12:20
Nutrition: 0:25:20
Tactics: 0:35:35
Mental Game: 0:44:49
Purpose: 1:01:06
Takeaways: 1:12:27
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow, and @allisonvest
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Still reading? You deserve a free sticker: Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review, post to IG, and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
-
This show is produced by Ryan Devlin and Mary Mathis, and is hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry. 
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Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!
 
 

Tommy Caldwell

Elite climber Tommy Caldwell shares his struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. 
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Tommy Caldwell is quite possibly the greatest all around rock climber of this generation... and perhaps of all time. He has five first free ascents on El Cap alone, including the Dihedral Wall which went unrepeated for 12 years, and of course the Dawn Wall, widely considered the hardest big wall climb ever. Tommy was also the first person to free The Nose in under 12 hours and free two El Cap routes in a day. With partner Alex Honnold, Tommy freed the Yosemite Triple Crown, bagged the first ascent of the Fitz Traverse in Patagonia, and holds The Nose speed record at under two hours. But can he sport climb? Yep, he can. Tommy put up the FA on Flex Luthor, which he didn’t even bother giving a grade because he’s Tommy, it went unrepeated for 18 years… and now has been suggested at 15b which would make it the first 9b in the World. Beyond climbing, Tommy is a rad dad and a tireless activist for environmental causes. There's so much good stuff in this 60 minute chat you're going to want to listen to it 10 times. 
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PhysiVantage is the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Visit www.physivantage.com/discount/STRUGGLE15 to receive 15% off your full priced nutrition order. 
 
Petzl is the official gear sponsor of The Struggle. Check out their amazing products, including the Sirocco helmet, at your local gear shop and learn more at petzl.com.
-
The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. 
-
Want to be a podcast hero and score yourself some rad limited edition swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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CHAPTERS:
Struggle: 0:07:48
Training: 0:14:25
Nutrition: 0:26:24
Tactics: 0:32:52
Mental Game: 0:42:18
Purpose: 0:53:04
Takeaways: 1:08:36
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow, and @tommycaldwell
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Still reading? You deserve a free sticker: Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review, post to IG, and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
-
This show is produced by Ryan Devlin and Mary Mathis, and is hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry. 
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Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!
 
 

Steven Dimmitt

Host of the hit climbing podcast The Nugget, Steven Dimmitt shares his struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. 
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Steven, as many of you are surely already aware, is the host of The Nugget Climbing Podcast. With more than 135 episodes and over 1 million downloads, The Nugget has become a really valuable resource for the climbing community. Beyond the mic, Steven is a very strong and stoked climber. He's a V-double-digit boulderer, projecting 14a on sport, and casually deadlifts 405 lbs. This chat is equal parts insightful, entertaining, and psyched! 
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PhysiVantage is the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Visit www.physivantage.com/discount/STRUGGLE15 to receive 15% off your full priced nutrition order. 
 
Petzl is the official gear sponsor of The Struggle. Check out their amazing products, including the Sirocco helmet, at your local gear shop and learn more at petzl.com.
-
The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. 
-
Want to be a podcast hero and score yourself some rad limited edition swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
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SHOW NOTES:
Struggle: 0:08:28
Training: 0:11:18
Nutrition: 0:25:03
Tactics: 0:36:26
Mental Game: 0:47:07
Purpose: 0:59:05
Takeaways: 1:07:55
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Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow, @stevendimmitt and @thenuggetclimbing
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Free Sticker Alert! Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review and post to IG and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
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This show is produced by Ryan Devlin and Mary Mathis, and is hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. 
-
Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!
 
 

My Sends & Struggles: Summer

Ryan shares his sends and struggles from the summer (and spring). From working his toughest proj at the Red, to utilizing tips learned from the pros and coaches featured in Season 1, to summer training with an eye towards fall goals... this update covers a bunch of territory and also goes off the rails from time to time so hopefully you're cool with that. 
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Want to be a podcast hero and score yourself some rad limited edition swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
-
Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow 
-
Free Sticker Alert! Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review and post to IG and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
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This show is hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective.
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Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!

Expert Analysis: Mental Game with Hazel Findlay

Hazel Findlay, pro climber and mindset coach, joins the show to look back at Season 1's interviews with 10 of the biggest names in climbing to see what themes and takeaways there are through the lens of Mental Game.
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Hazel is a pro with an impressive list of hard trad climbs to her name including Magic Line, a 14c rated R route, and freeing El Cap via the Golden Gate route. Hazel is also an insanely accomplished sport climber, having recently sent 9a (14d). What further sets Hazel apart is her ability to manage fear, stay focused, and use mindset to her advantage. Hazel has been coaching for the past 6 years in the area of performance psychology, stress and fear management. She also recently launched an interactive online course on mindset training, called Strong Mind, where she helps climbers manage their fears and maximize performance through the use of psychological tools. Get ready to free your mind in this interview with Hazel!
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Topics:
Identifying the 'right' level of challenge is key
Fear of failure
Process mindset
Fear of falling
"Rational" vs "irrational" fears
Gratitude as a superpower
Centering the mind and body before chalking up
What to do when fear arises mid-climb
Nutella
Check out Hazel's course, Strong Mind! 
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This season is supported by PhysiVantage, the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Visit www.physivantage.com/discount/STRUGGLE15 to receive 15% off your full priced nutrition order. 
 
This episode is supported by Athletic Greens. Visit www.athleticgreens.com/struggle to receive a FREE 1-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D and 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.
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The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world. 
-
Want to be a podcast hero and score yourself some rad limited edition swag? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow
-
Follow along on Instagram @thestruggleclimbingshow and @hazel_findlay. 
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Free Sticker Alert! Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review and post to IG and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.
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This show is hosted by Ryan Devlin and produced by Mary Mathis and Ryan Devlin, with additional support from Emily Holland.
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Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!