excellence, actually How to Push Your Limits, with World-Champion Climber Sasha DiGiulian
Dec 18, 2025
Sasha DiGiulian, a world champion rock climber known for her incredible ascents including the first female free climb of 'Platinum' on El Capitan, shares her journey through adversity. She opens up about overcoming her fears, managing pain, and the surprising clarity climbing brings amidst chaos. Sasha also discusses enduring a storm while stuck in a portaledge for nine days, the mental tools she uses to cope, and her insights on embracing gratitude in challenging times. With a focus on sponsorship and paving the way for future climbers, her story inspires resilience and positivity.
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Use Exposure To Reduce Fear
- Use controlled exposure to fear by taking planned falls to desensitize and learn it’s safe.
- Practice falling in low-stakes settings to erase the 'what if' and enable pushing harder.
Use Small Rituals To Calm Nerves
- Use simple, repeatable rituals to calm nerves like singing a stuck song or counting down from ten.
- Apply different tools for different contexts; Sasha breathes before public speaking instead of singing.
Objective Feedback Forces Growth
- Climbing reveals personal capability through objective, uncompromising feedback from the rock.
- Sasha values the sport for its clarity: excuses don't change reality and the rock doesn't care.