EP 91: Craig DeMartino
October 18, 2021
Craig DeMartino is a rock climber, motivational speaker, and teacher. His life changed in 2002 when he took a 100-foot ground fall. We talked about Craig’s accident and recovery, the decision to amputate his leg, climbing harder than ever after the accident, doing El Cap in a day, dealing with chronic pain, teaching adaptive climbing, and embracing a new normal. You can learn more about Craig at craigdemartino.com
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Podcasts Mentioned:
Enormocast EP 11 w/ Craig Demartino
The Swear Reel (That Chris Kalous made for him)
Films Mentioned:
Other Resources:
Articles:
Routes Mentioned:
‘Whiteman’ 5.11c, Lumpy Ridge, Estes Park, CO
‘Lurking Fear’ El Capitan, Yosemite, CA
‘The Nose’ El Capitan, Yosemite, CA
‘Dirty Smelly Hippie’ 5.13b, Red River Gorge, KY
‘Steelworker’ 5.12c, Red River Gorge, KY
‘Easy Rider’ 5.13a, Red River Gorge, KY
‘Forty Ounces of Justice’ 5.13a, Red River Gorge, KY
Craig’s Links:
Nuggets:
3:28 – El Cap, Craig’s son, and owning what you like
6:09 – His kids catching the climbing bug, and watching sports from the sidelines
8:12 – Adaptive sports, ball sports, and exploring sports outside the box
9:30 – Bouldering with a prosthetic leg
11:30 – Craig’s recent broken foot
15:23 – Trauma, avoiding getting hurt gain, and the hardware in his foot
17:00 – Being in Estes, relistening to EP 11 of the Enormocast, and sitting down in person
20:30 – Craig’s accident
36:05 – Waking up in the hospital, moving to an assisted living home, and eventually returning home
42:52 – The human body is amazing
43:51 – “Fuck it. I’m gonna cut my leg off and see what happens.” -Craig DeMartino
54:40 – “Who am I in this new form?”
56:04 – The barking dog, and the human barometer
58:42 – Pain and visualization
1:02:05 – Being honest about the ups and downs, and moving away from the accident
1:05:03 – New identities, and Hugh Herr
1:06:00 – “I would never change it”, and finding purpose in teaching adaptive sports
1:11:06 – Craig’s life before the accident, helping people now, and inclusivity
1:15:22 – Being a climber first, and the first all-adaptive ascent of El Cap
1:16:40 – Helping trauma patients find flow state through climbing
1:19:56 – Working through triggers and PTSD
1:22:56 – Craig’s recovery status
1:24:55 – How to hack the perspective without the injury, and how Will’s (Craig’s son’s) coach Mikey influenced him
1:29:15 – Question from Chris Kalous: “Why do you swear so much, Craig?”
1:31:54 – Patron question from Tyler: What made your story so captivating when you shared it on the Enormocast?
1:35:35 – Talking with Steve and remembering the accident, and going back to ‘White Man’
1:38:52 – Rannveig’s story, self-blame, and moving forward
1:41:48 – Patron question from Graham: How can people in the helping professions provide better opportunities for empowerment for people with disabilities?
1:47:23 – Patron question from Levi: How could we go about making a centralized group for adaptive climbers?
1:51:07 – How to connect with Craig
1:52:00 – Patron question from Andrew: Have you tried custom prosthetics for a specific move or route?
1:55:54 – Craig’s quiver of legs, and our amazing feet
1:58:24 – Patron question from Eli: What have been some of the hardest lessons, and best and encouraging ones since your fall?
2:00:40 – “When you get up there, don’t take no for an answer.” - HK
2:01:56 – Rock climbing is hard, and explaining rock climbing to your Grandma
2:04:04 – Patron question from Eli: What advice might you have for other climbers with kids?
2:09:09 – Most meaningful climbs since the injury, speed climbing El Cap with Hans Florine, and sport climbing with Cindy (Craig’s wife)
2:16:30 – Climbing his hardest after the accident
2:19:18 – Sending ‘Dirty Smelly Hippie’, soft grades, and feeling confident at 12d
2:23:16 – The steep style of the Red, climbing with one leg, and Tommy Caldwell as the most famous amputee
2:26:55 – Patron question from Ken Klein: Moving to Puerto Rico, what will you miss most about the Fort Collins scene? How has it evolved in your time there?
2:28:53 – Continuing the work in Puerto Rico, and chasing shorts weather
2:32:54 – Why Craig hates pants
2:34:44 – What Craig hopes to still accomplish in his climbing
2:36:48 – How the experience of climbing scales
2:37:58 – Grateful for opportunities
2:39:00 – We are all struggling with something
2:41:38 – Life is fluid