Free delivery on orders over £80Sammy Oakes
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At time of writing, I am 22 years old. Roughly 19 years ago I went climbing for the first time. Although at 3 years old not much ‘real’ climbing can occur, thanks to my dad, I was outdoors dangling on ropes and scrambling on rocks. The outdoors has been an ever-present force of motivation in my life ever since. Although I would define myself as a climber, I also have a real passion for mountaineering, skiing and surfing. My initial journey into the climbing world was driven through competition. Being the youngest of three boys; motivation to compete was never something I struggled to grasp. Although I don’t remember the exact time and place of my first competition in climbing, I know I was seven years old and immediately I was hooked. At 10 years old I made my first national grand final where I placed sixth, however, I never really fully prioritised climbing until I was selected for The GB youth lead climbing team at age 14. Through being on the team I have had some amazing experiences. The GB team facilitated travelling around Europe as a teenager for European youth cups and Youth world championships. Through these experiences I made some of my best friends and experienced the level that it takes to be an accomplished international climber. This also initiated a drive in me to really push myself through climbing and training to be as good as I could be. After my career in the youth team ended my focus on competitions somewhat shifted. Right now, I am in my third year at the University of Birmingham studying Anthropology and Political Science. This is something I also have a real passion for, despite its time-consuming nature. As a result, my relationship with climbing and competing has changed. Training is now my escape from the mundane reality of studying and so keeping to the standard of competition has been a struggle. Many of the times where I have experienced the biggest feelings of elation have arisen climbing outdoors and so competitions have become much less of a priority for me. My love for the outdoors has once again taken up the mantle as my primary source of inspiration to climb and train. I have always thrived in adventurous situations. Successfully climbing E8 at 17 after my first a-level chemistry mock exam (which did NOT go well) stands out as one of the definitive actions of my teens. Balancing motivation to go outside and my drive to do well in academia has never been easy and so one has always ended up being sacrificed by the other. Next year, rather optimistically, I am hoping to carry on in this vein. After University I would love to combine a life of adventure with the skills I have developed from my degree as I look to pursue a career in adventure writing. This stands out to me as the perfect application of the skills I have accrued during my youth and time as a student. |
At time of writing, I am 22 years old. Roughly 19 years ago I went climbing for the first time. Although at 3 years old not much ‘real’ climbing can occur, thanks to my dad, I was outdoors dangling on ropes and scrambling on rocks. The outdoors has been an ever-present force of motivation in my life ever since. Although I would define myself as a climber, I also have a real passion for mountaineering, skiing and surfing.
My initial journey into the climbing world was driven through competition. Being the youngest of three boys; motivation to compete was never something I struggled to grasp. Although I don’t remember the exact time and place of my first competition in climbing, I know I was seven years old and immediately I was hooked. At 10 years old I made my first national grand final where I placed sixth, however, I never really fully prioritised climbing until I was selected for The GB youth lead climbing team at age 14. Through being on the team I have had some amazing experiences. The GB team facilitated travelling around Europe as a teenager for European youth cups and Youth world championships. Through these experiences I made some of my best friends and experienced the level that it takes to be an accomplished international climber. This also initiated a drive in me to really push myself through climbing and training to be as good as I could be.
After my career in the youth team ended my focus on competitions somewhat shifted. Right now, I am in my third year at the University of Birmingham studying Anthropology and Political Science. This is something I also have a real passion for, despite its time-consuming nature. As a result, my relationship with climbing and competing has changed. Training is now my escape from the mundane reality of studying and so keeping to the standard of competition has been a struggle. Many of the times where I have experienced the biggest feelings of elation have arisen climbing outdoors and so competitions have become much less of a priority for me. My love for the outdoors has once again taken up the mantle as my primary source of inspiration to climb and train.
I have always thrived in adventurous situations. Successfully climbing E8 at 17 after my first a-level chemistry mock exam (which did NOT go well) stands out as one of the definitive actions of my teens. Balancing motivation to go outside and my drive to do well in academia has never been easy and so one has always ended up being sacrificed by the other. Next year, rather optimistically, I am hoping to carry on in this vein. After University I would love to combine a life of adventure with the skills I have developed from my degree as I look to pursue a career in adventure writing. This stands out to me as the perfect application of the skills I have accrued during my youth and time as a student.
