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athletic, but I learned how to take a break
and take care of my body to rest and heal
it completely and not risk more injury. I
climbed in the comp, and did my best, I
ended up in 31st place. I was hoping to do
better, but it was also good to learn how
it feels to not do that well, then push past
the disappointment and get over it to be
able to support my friends that did great
because that is what they would do for me.
Since you had to climb at less than
100% at Worlds, did that leave you hun-
gry to make it back in the near future?
Definitely, before I broke my foot I was
training so hard and was hoping to do real-
ly well in Italy. I climbed my best at Worlds,
but I know I could’ve done much better. It
was a really good experience though, now
I know what to expect if I make it back to
that level of competition. I’m training really
hard this season and I really want to make
it back to worlds. It’s supposed to be in
Russia next year and Russia sounds like
an interesting place to climb. What is really
amazing about this sport for me, is that
it is giving me a chance to travel all over
the world and meet all sorts of different
climbers.
What is the best cross training you have
found? With BEA what kind of off wall
gym workouts do you do?
I think the best non-climbing exercises we
do are core, any kind of endurance work-
outs, and flexibility. Good core strength is
super important for stability and power-
ful climbs, when you have to have the
strength to pull your body back to the wall.
Endurance is vital for a good competition
standpoint in all disciplines. In boulder-
ing, you have to be able to give several
attempts on a lot of different climbs, and
still feel strong by your last problem. In
rope climbing, the routes are super long
and usually in competitions the routes get
harder as you climb up them, so you still
have to feel good by the top of the route to
finish up the last really hard bit.
What has BEA meant to your climbing?
How do your coaches help you progress
and stay calm at competitions?
My coaches are amazing and my team is
like my family. Since the start, my coaches
have always known exactly what to do to
make us climb the best we are capable
of. They are the most organized, smart,
and fun people to be around.They keep us
motivated and on task, and everything they
do is for us.
Are you enjoying school? What are
some of your favorite subjects? Does
homework get you stressed out?
I started High school this year, and it is def-
initely a lot trickier to balance schoolwork
with practice. I like school, my favorite
subjects are Biology and Spanish. Home-
work gets pretty stressful sometimes, I re-
ally have to stay focused to get it all done
while still going climbing everyday.
“It’s been great to have a front row seat to watching Mira’s devel-
opment as a climber over the years. One of the things that Mira has
that helps push her towards the top of her field, is her coachability
and willingness to place trust in me and the other BEA coaches.
I think a lot of people see Mira climb and think “Wow, that’s
a talented climber”- But there’s a lot more going on besides
the actual physical aspect of climbing that Mira is doing while
she’s in a competition. She has spent time working on and
developing those tactical and psychological skills over the
years. Mira is also a tremendous learner. She takes in infor-
mation coaches are giving her in regards to the tactical or
technical approach to competition climbing and puts it into
action when she’s competing. It’s not uncommon to work on
a skill or give her feedback in a practice session and then
watch her implement that at a competition next weekend.”
-Mike Rougeux
Climbing Director at BEA