Mental Secrets: 2014 Tour De Bloc Nationals and a Recap of the Season

          To the many of us who regard climbing as an individual sport, I would like to share why this weekend changed the way I see climbing as a team sport. I always thought a “climbing team” was a group of people who met on a scheduled basis to push each other’s weaknesses. To train like mo fo’s and keep the psych level pumping while offering constructive feedback. But the people I look up to most in the climbing community have given me so much more than just those things...In fact two very special people to me have tapped into my psyche in a way that has transformed my competition headspace and experience.

Feb 1 TDB, Scott Eveleigh Photography

The beginning of my season was filled with disappointing results and a whole lot of stress and insecurity. Usually qualifying high to secure a position in Finals, I would continually s*** the bed in the Finals round. Utterly fed up with my results and moreover my shaky non-committed fall-phobia flailing limbs...I knew I had to change something. 
          The young woman I turned to for help is a climbing prodigy. She keeps her cool 24/ 7 ( or at least tricks all of us into thinking so...). She moves confidently and purposefully. She trusts herself and her instincts and she is hands down one of the most beautiful climbers I have ever watched and had the honour to coach. I figured it was time for the tables to turn since Alyssa Weber had continually been kicking my ass for a couple years now! When I asked Alyssa back in february “What do I need to do to podium at a tour?” she replied “just have fun... I know it might sound a little cliche but it is the most important part. We all climb because it is fun, so why not make that the ultimate goal?” 

Alyssa Weber, World Cup Hamilton:Pam Eveleigh photography

At the time, this was an earth shattering epiphany for me! Have fun? What’s that....? I mean I have a lot of fun when I’m having a boulder sesh with my friends or training hard with my team... but Finals had always been an extremely stressful experience for me. Finals was a panel of judges who gave you five minutes to climb ridiculously hard problems that could later determine your fate as an international athlete. That is a BIG DEAL and A STRESSFUL DEAL. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that whatever the situation, we

Erica Carlson, Canmore: Jeff Walker Photography

 all feel the stress from our personal expectations and definitions of success/achievement.
At the Feb 15th Tour De Bloc in Vancouver at the Hive I took Alyssa’s advice. I let go of my expectations... I let go of the end goal of where I wanted to be and focused on the problem right in front of me. I focused on the movement and the sequence.. how cool the transitions were between features and how funny the problem was that made you climb it backwards right off the start! I had an absolute blast and for the first time ever at a Tour, I was on the podium! 
The other person that played a huge role in changing my mental approach to competition climbing is Erica Carlson. She is a carefully thought out and well rounded beast of a competitor who has the ability to focus in on problems like a microscope. Unoriginal as I am, I adopted the key words she uses to ready herself: “Calm, Strong and Focused.” For me, having these simple words to focus on carrying out made a world of difference in my competition game. A calm, strong and focused Jelisa was a very different climber than a frantic, over-gripping scatter-brained Jelisa. 
It sounds silly that two simple adjustments to my competition mentality could make such a difference in my performance... but it’s true! With the help of Alyssa and Erica, I finally feel like I’ve grown into myself as a competition climber. Whether I’m on a lucky streak or not, I am much more confident climbing under the gun and for the first time in a long while I’ve actually enjoyed it! 

Womens 3: Aidas Odonelis Photo

          Tour de Bloc Nationals was the last competition of the season and it was a major success for me! I went into that competition just wanting to have fun and try my best. Combining the mental techniques that had worked for my peers really helped me get through the entire comp in a positive manner! Once the semi-finals round was completed I was utterly shocked to learn that I had qualified 2nd for finals. I looked at the rankings like a child eyes their Christmas presents under the tree!

Womens 1: Adias Odonelis Photography

        Although I didn’t touch a single bonus in finals, I am proud of my climbing! I wasn’t held back by any pesky mental barriers... I was shut down strictly on a physical level which is how it should be! I gave everything I had left in the tank and despite the difficulty I experienced on the problems I found them very entertaining to climb on. I am pleased with my 4th place finish this year and I owe a big thanks to the two girls who helped me overcome my mental hurdles. We call climbing an individual sport, yet I don’t know a single other sport where your rivals are willing to share their tips and techniques with you. Where your team mates know exactly what to shout out to you in a crowd full of white noise. A team atmosphere undoubtedly clings to the air at the TDB’s and for some people... we really count on that support to succeed.
  

Shout out to my sponsors: 
Evolv
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Calgary Climbing Center