Climbing Higher: Emma Twyford’s Path to 9a and Empowering Women in the Sport

02/05/25 • 34 min

Prominent British climber Emma Twyford shares her journey to becoming the first British woman to send a 9a route. She reveals the challenges she's faced, including overcoming glandular fever and the transition from competition climbing to personal enjoyment. We also explore her efforts to empower women in the climbing industry through route-setting workshops.
Chapters:

00:00
Introduction

01:56
From Outdoor to Indoor

03:50
Overcoming Challenges: Glandular Fever and Climbing

10:08
The Transition from Competition to Personal Enjoyment

15:08
Achieving Milestones: First British Woman to Send 9A

19:54
The Importance of Self-Belief and Representation in Climbing

27:08
Route Setting: Empowering Women in the Industry

34:03
Personal Life and Hobbies Outside of Climbing

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About your host:
Mel Reeve is an experienced writer, casual climber and enthusiast, bringing her knowledge and passion to the podcast. With a background in writing, copywriting and content creation, Mel is dedicated to sharing the diverse stories and perspectives that shape the climbing community.

00:00
Introduction

01:56
From Outdoor to Indoor

03:50
Overcoming Challenges: Glandular Fever and Climbing

10:08
The Transition from Competition to Personal Enjoyment

15:08
Achieving Milestones: First British Woman to Send 9A

19:54
The Importance of Self-Belief and Representation in Climbing

27:08
Route Setting: Empowering Women in the Industry

34:03
Personal Life and Hobbies Outside of Climbing

Previous Episode

Climbing, Fear, and Redefining Success with Lor Sabourin

Pro climber and mental training coach Lor Sabourin shares their journey into climbing and outdoor adventure. Lor reflects on the importance of defining success on their own terms, and their experience as a non-binary climber. They share insights into managing fear while climbing, drawing from their expertise in mental coaching. Mel and Lor interrogate how it felt to be the first openly non-binary climber to conquer a 5.14 route, and Lor offers their perspective on creating inclusive and accessible climbing spaces.

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She also discusses the founding of Wanderers of Colour, its mission to create inclusive spaces for climbers, and the significance of representation in the climbing community.

Chapters:
00:00
Introduction

00:55
Climbing Preferences and Favorite Locations

03:27
Climbing with Family and Pregnancy Journey

07:57
Representation in Climbing and Community Support

09:54
Wanderers of Colour: Origins and Growth

14:12
Climbing Festival: Planning and Execution

18:50
Personal Reflections on Community

21:09
Future Goals and Climbing Opportunities

23:13
Encouragement for New Climbers and Community Involvement

Not Your Typical Climber - Climbing Higher: Emma Twyford’s Path to 9a and Empowering Women in the Sport

Transcript

Welcome to the podcast, Emma. Could you just introduce yourself for our listeners who maybe haven't heard of you or are interested in hearing more about you?

So my name's Emma Twyford. I'm a female British climber and I also root Cessler around the UK. And I've been climbing for...Over 30 years. Awesome. And I guess that's maybe a good point to start with. How did you get into climbing? It's been a long time, but yeah, how did that begin for you? So I probably started climbing in a way