I can’t believe a VEGAN can climb that hard!

Steph! Let me say I am a huge fan. I am so glad that there are vegan athletes out there like you representing! I have been climbing since I was about six, but seriously for about 5 years, on and off, and been vegan for three years. In that time I have had ups and downs, both in climbing and veganism. Part of that was I was a freshman in high school when I went vegan, not exactly a social norm, and was tormented a lot for it, especially by my macho wrestling team-mates. But it ended up being a good thing for my climbing, cause that’s how I vented all my frustration with people. After a while my family was really supportive. My mom is a nurse, so she got really into all the health benefits and made sure that I was getting everything I needed. My whole family started eating vegan meals, although my brother and I were the only ones who are vegan 100% of the time.

One thing that I’ve come across several times is when I climb “hard” stuff, it’s no big deal, until people find out I’m vegan, then it’s “WOW I can’t believe a VEGAN can climb that hard!”, or worse ” Oh if he can climb it, it must not be so hard”. It pisses me off SO much. On one hand I feel like I should be proud, but on the other hand it just reminds me that veganism is still really weird to people, especially in intense sports like climbing. Lately I’ve been experiencing some stiff joints, especially my ring finger on my left hand, and my elbows, but I haven’t felt any pain. I’m not sure what it’s from. I haven’t been climbing any harder or more frequently than I did in high-school. I’m guessing it’s because I haven’t been eating as well now that I am in college. I’m sorry to rant about all this, it’s just that I hardly know any vegans, and I have never met another vegan climber. You are a huge inspiration to me!
-Jason

Thanks for writing Jason! How cool that your family is so supportive of you, and that you have decided to always be in control of your life choices, despite what others may think or say. That’s extra impressive when dealing with peer pressure. You’ve been climbing for so long, and when you say that you are feeling some stiff joints, you probably know to pay attention, since climbers battle with overuse and tendon injuries. I’m guessing that college gives you less time for climbing than high school did, but you probably still go to the gym and pull as hard as you always have. Drink lots of water, and warm up a lot, especially when you are climbing less than normal. The only tips I can offer to keep your tendons together are consistency (of climbing and training), hydration and staying light.
Best to you!
Steph