Episode 041: Shauna Coxsey - Positivity Is A Choice

Full episode info and Show Notes: www.wearelookingsideways.com How do you get to the top of your sport? Sure, you need incredible focus, steely ambition and exceptional physical talent. But you also need a particular mindset - an ability to deal with setbacks and injuries; to turn setbacks into positives, and to continually readjust your goals as circumstances dictate. And that’s the main takeaway from my conversation with climber Shauna Coxsey. Shauna is a two-time ISCF World Cup bouldering champion who in 2016 was awarded an OBE for her services to climbing. She is also one of the highest-profile climbers in the world, who is set to be the focus of global attention when climbing makes its debut at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. I caught up with Shauna in London at the end of April 2018 for a hugely enjoyable conversation about her life and career so far. It’s an-depth and involved chat that covers in detail exactly how Shauna, who first discovered climbing as a four year old in Runcorn, made it to the top of her sport - and the incredible physical and mental focus it takes to stays there. We discuss the way Shauna compartmentalise her achievements and moves on quickly to her next goal, an approach that leads us nicely to the looming occasion of the 2020 Olympics, and how Shauna plans to tackle the biggest occasion of her career. As you’ll hear, Shauna is great company; completely unpretentious and a fantastic, articulate role model for climbing and women in sport. Her story is one of utmost dedication, and it was brilliant to get the opportunity to sit down with her and go over her life and career in such detail. Huge thanks to Jenny at Band of Birds for the help in setting this one up, and to Shauna for coming on the show. It’s a good one. As usual, thanks to Matt Ward (www.linguistine.com) for the theme tune.