Adam Ondra on The Monster That Fuels His Climbing

Added: 2026-05-06

[00:00:00]Do you think you will ever feel 100% satisfied with your climbing career?

[00:00:05]Like how do you feel about your climbing career so far and and do you feel Yeah, do you feel content? Do you feel satisfied? Or is there is the fire ever burning? Like never-ending?

[00:00:15]Mhm.

[00:00:16]I mean, right now it's always like how would be nice to have this Olympic medal, but you know, maybe in the next month I'll I'll be just it will be announced that there is the lead and bouldering combined then the Olympic games are over for me and maybe it will be a huge relief, you know.

[00:00:34]>> [laughter] >> Yeah.

[00:00:37]I mean, that would be cool, but like I just coming from me and like probably you know, most of the people listening to this or everyone listening to this man, you're the greatest of all time.

[00:00:46]Doesn't matter if you get an Olympic medal or not. Like you've just done so much in climbing. It's just been so amazing to follow your career and see all these accomplishments. Obviously, it would be like icing on the cake, but um you definitely don't like no one thinks you need that. You know what I mean?

[00:01:02]Like you're already at at a mandra.

[00:01:03]You've done everything. You're the best.

[00:01:05]I mean, this is the thing is like for me to honestly reflect on my motivation for the Olympics uh it's not really possible.

[00:01:17]What do you mean?

[00:01:18]If the motivation to get the Olympic medal really comes from me or more like the expectation of the others that I'm just projecting in myself.

[00:01:27]>> Mhm.

[00:01:28]I don't really know. Mhm.

[00:01:31]That makes sense.

[00:01:32]I don't really know.

[00:01:34]>> [laughter] >> Yeah. Obviously, if we are talking about the like the love for the process, I just love road climbing so much more.

[00:01:41]Mhm.

[00:01:42]If like the first Olympics were the one in Paris and it wouldn't be for the speed climbing I think like the process of training would be so much more enjoyable and actually yes, the training for Paris was enjoyable. Mhm.

[00:01:56]>> And like the outcome like the shape that I was feeling in Paris was was was really and it it it was overall a very overwhelming experience. Mhm.

[00:02:07]Yeah.

[00:02:07]>> Not not for the sake of climbing there, but I think more of like the really very special training path to get so well prepared for that day. Mhm.

[00:02:20]And like everybody who I worked with including Pachi actually who helped me in the last month.

[00:02:27]Um So so that that was very [snorts] special, but coming back to the satisfaction with my career, I think the for bad and and good thing it's the satisfaction more comes from you know, what is right now.

[00:02:44]So I'm happy if I feel I'm I'm strong right now, but you know, the feeling like I already had a really good career Yeah.

[00:02:53]>> is not that satisfying at that moment.

[00:02:55]Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:02:57]Maybe when I'm 80 it's going to be a different >> [laughter] >> No, I I I actually I really >> I'm not like I'm not a person who who like regrets his decisions. Mhm. So I I'm I actually think it's very likely that many years in the future I will be actually 100% happy with my career. Mhm.

[00:03:18]Yeah.

[00:03:19]That makes a lot of sense to me. I actually really relate to that because I um you know, for for many years of my climbing I felt like I was on this steady upward trajectory but then I got myself into like the eating disorder thing and and kind of in the aftermath of that had like a real slump. And during that slump none of my previous sends meant anything to me. I was just like I just felt bad, you know, I just felt like down and and was having a hard time. So I I get that like you know, we can kind of look back and be proud of what we've done and carry those you know, carry that pride with us and whatnot, but how you feel right now you know, we just want to feel good. You you want to feel strong and capable and >> also I think our value right now is also is very often connected to okay, what have you sent last month?

[00:04:10]>> [laughter] >> When you you know?

[00:04:13]And it's sort of like like uh right now I'm in a situation of my life when I know that this is bad.

[00:04:24]You know, it's it's it's it's it's [laughter] it's some kind of mania that was actually good when I was a little kid.

[00:04:32]And it like pushed me forward. Mhm. And [clears throat] up to certain extent I'm grateful for having let's call it a mania.

[00:04:41]Right now, it's like okay, I'm a family man. It's uh maybe better to like you know, slow down a bit and uh but at the same time you I know I don't want to kill it completely. Mhm. You know, it's it's kind of a monster that you just have to you know, like you know, keep it up to a certain level Mhm. and like let it grow for certain period of time and then just kill it again and like go with the >> [laughter] >> That's so interesting. I I think call it a monster that you just you know, want to want to use it in a good way is is is probably a good good explanation. Mhm.

[00:05:27]Yeah. And I think the problem the problem of the problem and also a good thing of the other people that maybe their monster is very small.

[00:05:37]Mhm.

[00:05:38]But I think like the I know way too many climbers whose monster is like way too big. Mhm.

[00:05:46]Like >> And they are very happy if they are like climbing hard and if they are climbing hard uh maybe they are like really strong in training, but they are just currently not able to finish their project and they are kind of in a dark place for >> [laughter] >> for let's say no reason. Yeah.

[00:06:04]Right.

[00:06:06]Right.

[00:06:06]>> And especially like if you are just a weekend warrior and you have you have your work, you have a family and you're still coping with this really really big monster that just makes you only always think about okay, what next are you going to send? Mhm.

[00:06:25]Not always good. How do you put the monster back in its cage so to speak when you need to? Cuz you are I mean, I see that in you.

[00:06:32]>> back is no problem. Like >> How do you do that? I mean, cuz you you actually like I can tell you care so [ __ ] much about every climb that you set out to do and you're so psyched if you do it and you're so upset if you don't. But I'm really impressed actually with how quickly you seem to turn things around. Like if you fall off your project like you you let it all out and then within you know, it seems like 10 or 15 minutes you're back on the ground, you're smiling, you're like kind to people, you you have a positive attitude. Um you know, and and maybe you're still maybe you're laying in bed that night like [ __ ] >> [laughter] >> You know.

[00:07:09]But uh But I'm impressed by that. How do you What do you do? Like how how do you turn things around?

[00:07:15]>> actually trying to the the fact that for short moment I am actually violent and I'm screaming after I fall off helps me a lot to be completely fine in two minutes. Yeah.

[00:07:31]Just let all the steam out sort of thing.

[00:07:33]>> Not always the best situation especially when I was like teenager, it was pretty crazy and looking looking at the old videos makes me feel like really embarrassed, but >> [laughter] >> Mhm. Uh I think it's a it's a good strategy for me to cope with that. Yeah.

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