Ep 12: Anita Aggarwal + Christiane Luttikhuizen - World Cup Paraclimbing

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Anita Aggarwal and Christiane Luttikhuizen are paraclimbers who have competed in world cups as part of the RP3 sports class. RP3 is a classification for limited reach, power or stability. In this episode, we’ll learn about what it’s like climbing with a disability, the difficulties dealing with classification and class merging, whether or not the IFSC does a good job with accommodations, and the possibility of joining the Paralympics in LA 2028.
Guest links:
Anita’s Instagram (instagram.com/dazzle_uk)
Christiane’s Instagram (instagram.com/chris_ti_a_ne)
Reference links:
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Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Introduction
1:15 - Holiday debrief
4:36 - How they got into climbing
6:01 - Explanation of paraclimbing categories
8:39 - Christiane's disability
10:07 - Anita's disability
12:05 - Classification + merging
24:31 - Getting de-classified and re-classified
30:17 - Managing fatigue + injury with competitions
39:38 - How to join a paraclimbing team
44:56 - History of paraclimbing
47:54 - Paraclimbing formats, potentially lead or bouldering?
50:33 - Paraclimbing route setting
57:49 - Logistical issues and isolation insanity
1:00:57 - Has the IFSC been good at accommodating paraclimbers?
1:08:37 - Funding for paraclimbers
1:16:23 - Not feeling disabled enough
1:20:05 - How it feels to climb a para route
1:25:18 - Matt Groom fan club
1:28:41 - Anita on being an older competitor (50+)
1:34:49 - Paralympics in LA 2028?
1:41:26 - Discord Q: Are there any paraclimbers who do speed climbing?
1:43:34 - Discord Q: Should there be more paraclimbing world cups?
1:45:32 - Discord Q: What are the future areas of growth for paraclimbing?
1:49:23 - Discord Q: How does the path of a pro paraclimber differ from that of an able-bodied climber?
1:55:03 - Where to find Anita + Christiane + Outro