Pro athlete, Emily Harrington, on climbing, pregnancy and motherhood
Feb 17, 2024
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Professional climber Emily Harrington shares her journey into motherhood while maintaining her adventurous career, including climbing Mount Everest and El Cap. She discusses her experiences during pregnancy, postpartum challenges, and balancing motherhood with training and sponsorship commitments. Topics include decision-making process, adapting climbing goals post-motherhood, and managing risk as a parent.
Emily Harrington navigates motherhood and professional climbing, balancing new responsibilities with her athletic identity.
Risk management shifts post-motherhood, emphasizing calculated decision-making and communication in climbing pursuits.
Adapting climbing goals post-motherhood towards sport climbing, focusing on strength and quality climbing sessions over extreme risks.
Deep dives
Transitioning to Motherhood and Embracing Change
In this podcast episode, Emily Harrington discusses her recent transition to motherhood and how it has impacted her life as a professional athlete. She talks about the decision to have a child, her experiences with pregnancy and the postpartum period, and the challenges of balancing her athletic identity with her new identity as a mother. She shares how her goals and motivations have shifted and how she is learning to be patient with herself as she navigates this new phase of life.
Navigating Risk and Return to Sport
Emily Harrington also addresses the topic of risk management and the changes it has brought to her approach towards climbing and skiing. She acknowledges that her comfort zone has become smaller initially but has gradually expanded as she gains confidence and experience in her new life as a mother. She emphasizes the importance of calculated decision-making, communication with her partner, and being selective about the risks she takes. She discusses how her perspective on risk has shifted and how she is adapting to the changing dynamics of her professional career.
The Impact of Body Image and Postpartum Recovery
Emily opens up about her experiences with body image during and after pregnancy. She acknowledges the emotional and physical changes that come with motherhood and discusses the challenges of accepting and appreciating her postpartum body. She also shares her thoughts on breastfeeding and its influence on her energy levels and overall well-being. She emphasizes the importance of support and vulnerability within her network of other mothers, highlighting the need for self-acceptance and the acknowledgement of the unique journey each woman goes through.
Adapting and Setting New Goals After Becoming a Mother
Becoming a mother has forced the speaker to become more adaptable and resilient, as parenthood is unpredictable and plans often don't go as expected. This shift in mindset has helped the speaker let go of perfectionism and learn to go with the flow. Similarly, the speaker's climbing goals have evolved since becoming a mother. She initially planned to return to intense climbing expeditions but realized that she no longer felt comfortable in exposed places and high-risk situations. Instead, she has shifted her focus to sport climbing and improving her strength, which is less mentally taxing and allows for a more genuine approach to climbing.
Balancing Climbing and Parenthood
The speaker and her spouse have found ways to balance their climbing aspirations and parenthood responsibilities. They have a three-person climbing dynamic with the help of a nanny, allowing them to both climb and take care of their child. They have also learned to be deliberate and make the most of their climbing time, appreciating the value of quality sessions rather than climbing aimlessly. The speaker acknowledges that she can't climb as frequently as before and has accepted the importance of rest and recovery in her training. This shift in approach has resulted in feeling stronger and achieving progress in climbing.
In today’s podcast, Lattice Coach, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, delves deep with Emily Harrington into her recent transition to motherhood with partner, Adrian Ballinger, and their son, Aaro. Emily shares insights into her decision to have a child amidst their adventurous lifestyles and careers, and navigating the uncertainties that came with it.
Emily, a multidisciplinary athlete, has major achievements, not just in international and national sport climbing competitions, but also in big wall climbing, alpine climbing, skiing, and more. The North Face athlete ascended some of the most challenging routes and ascents, including sport climbing up numerous routes in the 5.14 range, Mount Everest, and free climbing El Cap in a single day via Golden Gate.
The discussion explores various aspects of Emily's journey, including her experiences during pregnancy, her expedition to Baffin Island while expecting, and her candid reflections on postpartum life. Emily opens up about her birth experience, returning to movement and climbing, managing body image issues, and finding balance between motherhood and her athletic identity.
Emily reflects on her attitudes toward risk as a mother and the evolution of her goals since having Aaro, sharing the challenges and triumphs of parenthood in the world of professional climbing. Emily also shares practical tips and tricks for managing training, travel logistics, and sponsorship commitments while being a devoted mother.
Topics include: - Decision-making process behind starting a family amidst adventurous careers - Emily's pregnancy journey and managing climbing and risk during this time - Expedition to Baffin Island while expecting and decision-making process - Experiences and challenges of postpartum life, including returning to climbing - Reflections on attitudes toward risk as a mother and evolving goals - Practical tips and tricks for managing training, travel logistics, and sponsorship commitments
Join us for this enlightening conversation with Emily Harrington. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain wisdom and inspiration from one of the most accomplished climbers of our time.
The Lattice jingle is brought to you by Devin Dabney, music producer of the outdoor industry who also hosts the American Climbing Project.
The Lattice jingle is brought to you by Devin Dabney, music producer of the outdoor industry who also hosts the American Climbing Project.
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