Tim Emmett: Sending His Hardest Project at 51, Training and Mindset Breakthroughs, and What's Next

Jan 7, 2026

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Elite climber, Tim Emmett, explores:

The moments surrounding the send of Era Vella (9a)
Dealing with relentless failure
Overcoming countless injuries and setbacks
8 years of effort and commitment
Being his fittest and strongest at age 51
The invisible costs of taking on a huge project
The training breakthrough prescribed by Neil Gresham
Having a total emotional breakdown
The diet change that changed everything
Letting go of the outcome
Skills over strength

Here's Tim's emotional video just after sending the proj: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRH5YN4CEa0/

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Here are some AI generated show notes (hopefully the robots got it right)

00:00 Introduction and Welcome 03:14 Interview with Tim Emmett Begins 04:01 Tim's Emotional Journey and Achievements 08:25 Challenges and Family Sacrifices 13:05 Mental and Physical Preparation 28:10 Training and Nutrition Insights 35:36 Injury and Diet Impact 36:09 Performance Eating vs. General Diet 39:13 Balancing Happiness and Discipline 40:51 Winter Climbing and Training Goals 42:38 PhysiVantage Sponsorship 44:07 The Struggle Patreon Community 45:38 Reflecting on Personal Climbing Achievements 47:09 The Journey to Climbing Success 01:02:19 Listener Questions and Final Thoughts

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The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.

This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.

The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.

And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that’s done. But hey, if you’re a human that’s actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I’ll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!