EP 175: Ady Wright
July 5, 2023
Photo by Trevor Riley
Ady Wright is a climbing instructor and routesetter based in New York. We met up in Red Rock and recorded a nice long chat in the van, covering her introduction to climbing and routesetting, why she pivoted from veterinary science, being raised by a cautious father, analyzing risk, the benefits of meal prepping, losing her grandmother to cancer, the pressure that comes with opportunity, the rebellious act of existing, and much more!
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Show Notes:
Related Podcast Episodes:
Books Mentioned:
The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
Ady’s Links:
Nuggets:
0:03:56 – Ady’s breakfast, and serendipitous timing
0:05:56 – Ady’s first vacation, and how an outdoor climbing trip fuels routesetting
0:13:04 – Her head setter Ryan, and earning her stripes
0:18:16 – Learning to set above her level, the complexity of grades, and setting boulders vs. routes
0:24:32 – Studying veterinary science, wanting to be a zoo veterinarian, and pivoting to be a full-time climber
0:33:03 – Being the first in her family to do many things
0:36:58 – Going camping for the first time, and a reminder of how recent slavery was in this country
0:40:56 – Going with the flow, and everything in moderation
0:44:45 – The benefits of meal prepping
0:46:02 – Being hard on herself, and sharing experiences with people that look like her
0:49:53 – My conversation with Brittany Leavitt, travel safety, and where the feeling of not doing enough comes from
0:54:24 – The pressure that comes with opportunity
0:59:22 – Losing her grandmother to cancer, and crying for the things she didn’t get to have
1:01:01 – The influence Ady hopes to have on the routesetting industry, and how being cautious has saved her
1:06:06 – Privilege layers, and needing to talk with people to actually know them
1:09:29 – Writing novels and producing music
1:10:57 – Mom
1:19:00 – A question from Marie-Louise: When Ady climbs, is she in her body or is it more of an out-of-body experience?
1:24:11 – Who inspires Ady in climbing and routesetting
1:28:17 – Ady’s goal to make routsetting more accessible
1:31:20 – Ady’s climbing goals, and her style
1:34:32 – Being intimidated by overhangs
1:35:57 – Immersing in a specific style
1:37:40 – Lifting weights, and the 3 pieces of advice Ady got from Tyson Schoene
1:41:15 – The exercise that helped Ady with her elbow tendonitis
1:46:50 – Gymnast tension, and the yin and yang of climbing
1:48:26 – PT Day, splits, and recovery
1:52:06 – “It’s really expensive to be a great athlete”, and running from coyotes
1:54:23 – Thoughts on sponsorship
1:58:08 – Stories of walking in New York City
2:01:00 – Being in the shelter system for a year
2:06:38 – Loving most of New York
2:09:18 – What frustrates Ady
2:13:39 – Feeling hopeful and falling in love with people
2:17:07 – Skateboarding
2:19:50 – Getting mentorship from Sam Elias, and learning from each climb
2:24:47 – Practice makes better
2:29:38 – Believe and validate
2:32:58 – The clubhouse