Coaching for the BMC PARA - CLIMBING SERIES 2014 with Gwyn...

I was lucky enough to be asked to coach Gwyn for his upcoming competition in London at BMC PARA CLIMBING SERIES at the Castle Climbing Centre.

We are into our third week now and have shifted both my understanding of Gwyn's blindness and his understanding of what is actually achievable by him with our joint agreement on an intense training and coaching plan that has seen us begin on 6b+ to watch him working two long 7a's today at the Beacon after a tough weeks campusing and working a higher level of power endurance on the wooden blobs of doom!

Gwyn working the problems in our session preparing for London

Gwyn used to climb back in the 80's/90's until he lost full use of his sight with use of his peripheral vision only. But he decided to try again with climbing as he adapted to his new way of seeing. My challenge was trying to understand firstly, how it might feel to climb for Gwyn and secondly to find ways that would assist our plight of improving his climbing for the competition in London.

Training the body to improve is not too hard, just takes effort and time - training the mind to adjust to climbing at a higher standard is harder, but still not so hard - finding ways to understand what it really feels like with impaired sight was terrifying! I tried climbing a 6c with my eyes shut on lead and have never been so frightened going over a bulge above a bolt (and I have done some reasonably scary shit in my time).

Finding methods to tag holds as we climb through the blind spots has been working a little, but we have 3 weeks to go before Gwyn's first competition... Trying new ideas and training harder as the programme increases in intensity before the taper towards the Competition, towards London.

Estamos reclutando para los clientes a entrenar con nuestro Programa de Formación en línea de 6 semanas de marzo.

Estamos reclutando para los clientes a entrenar con nuestro Programa de Formación en línea de 6 semanas de marzo.

El costo es de € 100 para un programa de 6 semanas con el apoyo de entrenamiento en línea.

Si desea que su propio programa de entrenamiento en línea, por favor póngase en contacto con markmcgowan01@gmail.com

Recruiting for Online 6 Week Training Programme for March.

1000 pull ups in Auzat, Pyrenees

We are not looking for a thousand people, just 6! We are not looking to do a 1000 pull ups, just 6 weeks of structured, well planned training around your goal. If you are interested in joining the March ReAch Training Programme then please contact markmcgowan01@gmail.com for more details.

The cost of our Dual Factor Programme is £100 or $ or Euro equivalent.

Sonia on F7b in Spanish Pyrenees

Inspiration... A Coaching Journey with Jay 'stomping' Owen.

Young Jay trying harder at his climbing and his life... Inspiring.

  "Hi my name Jamie 24 years old who has dyspraxia aspergers d.a.m.p also in progress getting re diagnosed now as Adult since i understand more stuff now as Adult rather than when i was a child not understanding anything atall with reading before when i was Little couldnt read or understand books or didnt no how to socialize with peers but i have come along way through battleing its not been easy for me more case i cant write to save my life , am allways in strict routine with doing things and if am not doing them activites i have a Bad day and just shut everyone out like whole world but what has changed my life is Climbing with helping me with my coordination confidence working my brain more just everything .. anything to do with Extreme sports i love and outdoors same as Music Films.. found it very hard to fit in with others peers when i was Little went away at age 12 years old to boarding school witch times were hard, but changed my life from haveing the Help down there , since the teachers at mainstream school didnt no how to deal with me plus 1 to 1 help connects in more ways with the teacher they get to understand you more than a mainstream Teacher an my Achievements been able to play Ice Hockey Roller Hockey , tryed playing football but was all over the place couldnt get on with any my team mates cause they were just Judgemental peers .. always struggled with everything but now that i got older its better to talk about things rather than keep it all in express what you feel to others such as parents doctors about lows and your highs , still get good days bad days , but wont let it define me as person , so to all that are struggling with things you have Gift at the end of day try new things no matter what the outcome is , battle on through , Each goal you do is Achievement even if you dont see it at 1st , just wanted to share this with you all .. it might not make sense but i wrote it out in best possible way i could , to try explain my Story p.s Jamie"

Jay working his 6a project at Beacon

Coaching and climbing with Jay has possibly been the most inspiring climbing journey that I have been on for a while. Watching him face the difficulties of climbing combined with the other challenge that is in his life has been humbling.

In between, climbing sessions where he works hard at learning how to be calm clipping a quick draw on lead and not get frustrated, when he is learning not to think about the confusions of right and left and to try to slow everything down when everything is telling him to hurry, in between this we had a great chat about his life and mine.

To sit down and hear a young man with autism be open about the challenges it has caused him to just live and the methods he uses to manage the best life for himself and his awareness of his own bravery and that it has ultimately been about how he has chosen to face his autism and how the world looks at him as he looks back at it was amazing and has left me feeling pretty humbled about my own difficult childhood and challenges I faced.

He lead his strong ass up the steep wall of the Beacon today fighting every difficult clip with such determination and bravery when he had only just learned how to find a solution for managing the magnified frustration of clipping a rope through the quick draw whilst under the weird sensation of being on the lead was just inspiring for me. Well done Jay 'stomping' Owen!

Jay: leading his first route on main steep wall at Beacon

Climbing 8b for Autism & Dyspraxia http://www.justgiving.com/MarkMcGowan01

http://www.justgiving.com/MarkMcGowan01

Working Metis (8b+) in Pyrenees 2012 (Photo: Alan James UKC)

http://www.justgiving.com/MarkMcGowan01