Ep 30: Tom Greenall - Ex-GB Head Coach Facing Public Backlash

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Tom is team GB’s ex-head coach! He personally coached Shauna Coxsey into getting her Tokyo Olympic ticket and has worked with the rest of team GB up until he left the national team earlier this year in April. In this episode, we'll learn about why he’s banned from the USA, the strategy for getting Shauna to qualify for the Olympics, and the politics and public backlash he faced working in the circuit that led to his eventual resignation.

There is an EXTRA FULL-LENGTH EPISODE available with Tom on Patreon available to members only: patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast

Guest links:
Instagram (instagram.com/greenalltom)
Email

Reference links:
Wedge Climbing (youtube.com/@WEDGECLIMBING)
Janja Unfiltered Period Talk (youtube.com/watch?v=pZCmsYxHRB8&list=PL_YX…)

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Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Intro/Recovering from knee surgery
5:49 - Starting climbing + competing + coaching
10:20 - How he got BANNED from the USA
13:18 - How to get into coaching now
18:57 - Thoughts on Instagram coaching + current training philosophies
25:50 - Coaching Shauna Coxsey into the Olympics
34:15 - Why Team GB found such great form in 2024
37:12 - What makes Toby and Erin stand out from the rest
39:12 - Difference between coaching individually vs acting as head coach
40:56 - How GB training camps work
44:30 - Athlete consistency during comps + period cycles
53:45 - Why he quit as head coach of GB
1:01:32 - Dealing with a toxic climbing community
1:08:38 - The most difficult parts of coaching
1:10:56 - Favorite/least favorite travel moments on the circuit
1:14:59 - Recommendation to other coaches on stress management
1:17:25 - The future of comp climbing + athlete money
1:22:45 - "Coaching people to their own individual Olympics"
1:26:45 - Tom's future
1:28:22 - Discord Q: Does cohesion in a national team make a difference?
1:30:48 - Discord Q: Did individual coaching ever interfere with your work as national team coach?
1:32:54 - Final thoughts + where to find Tom