Anita Aggarwal and Christiane Luttikhuizen are paraclimbers who have competed in world cups as part of the RP3 sports class. RP3 is a classification for limited reach, power or stability. In this episode, we’ll learn about what it’s like climbing with a disability, the difficulties dealing with classification and class merging, whether or not the IFSC does a good job with accommodations, and the possibility of joining the Paralympics in LA 2028.

Guest links:

Anita’s Instagram

Christiane’s Instagram

Reference links:

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Timestamps of discussion topics

0:00 - Introduction

1:15 - Holiday debrief

4:36 - How they got into climbing

6:01 - Explanation of paraclimbing categories

8:39 - Christiane's disability

10:07 - Anita's disability

12:05 - Classification + merging

24:31 - Getting de-classified and re-classified

30:17 - Managing fatigue + injury with competitions

39:38 - How to join a paraclimbing team

44:56 - History of paraclimbing

47:54 - Paraclimbing formats, potentially lead or bouldering?

50:33 - Paraclimbing route setting

57:49 - Logistical issues and isolation insanity

1:00:57 - Has the IFSC been good at accommodating paraclimbers?

1:08:37 - Funding for paraclimbers

1:16:23 - Not feeling disabled enough

1:20:05 - How it feels to climb a para route

1:25:18 - Matt Groom fan club

1:28:41 - Anita on being an older competitor (50+)

1:34:49 - Paralympics in LA 2028?

1:41:26 - Discord Q: Are there any paraclimbers who do speed climbing?

1:43:34 - Discord Q: Should there be more paraclimbing world cups?

1:45:32 - Discord Q: What are the future areas of growth for paraclimbing?

1:49:23 - Discord Q: How does the path of a pro paraclimber differ from that of an able-bodied climber?

1:55:03 - Where to find Anita + Christiane + Outro