Audrey Sniezek is a software engineer for Microsoft and a former professional climber. We talked about her beginnings in both computer science and climbing, becoming a morning person, her 4 a.m. warmup routine, starting a climbing gym near the Red River Gorge, coaching in China, self-talk for confidence, and her most recent 5.14a. Â
Support on Patreon:
patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Â
Show Notes: Â Â
http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/audrey-sniezek Â
Nuggets: Â
1:58 â Peanut butter sandwiches, being a finisher of things, the lunch crux, and dry salads Â
5:48 â Timex computers, studying computer science, and turning down Microsoft Â
10:22 â Temporary job with Microsoft, REI, and âis there any climbing in Washington?â Â
12:43 â Bigger and scarier, improving by climbing a lot, lead climbing and pushing personal boundaries Â
14:21 â Flexibility with work, squeezing in climbing, and âIâm only as transparent as I need to be.â Â
16:03 â Alpine style sport climbing, and becoming a morning person Â
17:55 â Audreyâs morning warmup routine Â
20:58 â Making the most of morning sessions, swapping days, and finding a COVID pandemic buddy Â
23:45 â Waking up extra early to send âLost Horizonsâ, and commuting to and from climbing Â
25:41 â The corporate boomerang, living in a van to climb full time, preferring to stay places longer, and Audreyâs current trifecta Â
28:58 â Fitness training, healthcare, why Audrey came back to a corporate job after freelancing, and building trust to achieve a better work/life balance Â
34:11 â A shift in company culture due to COVID Â
37:15 â A home in Vegas, and starting a gym in near the Red River Gorge Â
40:34 â Starting a computer science program at the Beattyville high school, and how the Beattyville climbing gym came to be Â
45:22 â Audreyâs vision for the gym, old-school setting, and watching the kids climb Â
47:28 â Williamâs stroke Â
49:37 â How Audrey uses the Beattyville gym and how she balances climbing and training in general Â
51:50 â Living in China and accidentally becoming a climbing coach Â
56:53 â Splitting up training and coaching, the language barrier, a teary-eyed farewell, and Audreyâs training legacy Â
1:00:20 â Audreyâs training session breakdown, Tabata style warmup, technique drills, going back to fundamentals, and training power on easy climbs Â
1:03:56 â Why Audrey doesnât do much Moonboarding or hangboarding Â
1:05:39 â Recent finger injury, slowly getting back into the swing, and missing the âtry hardâ Â
1:08:02 â What factors help Audrey âbring itâ Â
1:08:40 â âThe Sicknessâ Â
1:13:48 â âBlack Plagueâ, linkups, milking climbs for all theyâre worth, and new projects Â
1:16:39 â Four-year gap between 5.14s, competing in the world cups, and a hamstring injury Â
1:18:51 â How Audrey sent âThe Sicknessâ without any specific prep Â
1:20:50 â Trying a 5.14 at Mt. Potosi Â
1:23:39 â Goals and dreams Â
1:26:05 â âDr. Evilâ, funky beta, and a surprise send Â
1:31:03 â âThe only thing stopping me is me.â Â
1:33:32 â 5.14 (or 5.15) in her 50s, âam I a machineâ, and trying things sooner rather than later Â
1:34:32 â Howâs Audrey training changed in her 40s, her own fitness and training resources Â
1:36:57 â What Audrey wishes she had known in her 20âs, confidence, and âI belong hereâ Â
1:39:45 â Self-talk, the piece of paper, and âIâm capable.â Â
1:41:43 â Low confidence, building yourself up, and reminding yourself that you create your results Â
1:42:41 â Gratitude, heartbreak, and community Â
1:45:06 â The victory cone Â