Olympic High: an interview with Toby Roberts ahead of Paris 2024
GB Climbing's Toby Roberts talks training, mindset, hopes and fears for his first Olympic Games this summer.
This August, Toby Roberts will step out under the Olympic spotlights at Le Bourget Climbing Centre, Paris, to represent Great Britain in the biggest climbing competition in the world. For this nineteen year-old from Surrey, it will be a dream come true.
This will be the latest in a decade of standard-smashing climbs, both indoors and out, and a jaw dropping acceleration through the ranks from junior to senior, from national to global, from last-in-the-field to the very top.
Climbing started for Toby at school as an eight-year old when his science teacher introduced him to the sport. Aged just ten, he became the youngest Brit to climb the magic of 8a with the famous Raindogs at Malham Cove, North Yorkshire. Five years later he could say the same about 9a, climbing Rainshadow, again at Malham. Alongside outdoor triumphs he worked steadily thorough a plan that took him to junior comps, getting on the GB Climbing senior team then attending senior world cups.
Niall Grimes caught up with Toby and his dad Tristian, who shares Toby's success as his coach.
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