Chaz is a blind paraclimber from team Canada and is in the B3 category, meaning he has about 10% of his sight left. What’s crazy is that he didn’t start climbing until after he lost his vision! In this episode, we’ll learn about his rocky journey losing his vision at 32 years old and struggling with alcoholism, how to lead belay blind, and hear some surprising stories about run-ins with famous climbers that he doesn’t know because he can’t “watch” climbing content.
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Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Intro
1:58 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!
2;27 - Intro/healing from surgery
7:49 - Chaz's impairment and how he started climbing
13:16 - Losing sight later in life
26:16 - Lead belaying blind
36:21 - Visually impaired climbing without a caller
38:07 - First time competition climbing...getting dumped...bro code broken?!
43:25 - Climbing + calling with Alannah Yip
46:37 - Accidental run-ins with the most famous comp climbers
52:38 - Lack of accessibility with climbing content
57:17 - Feeling unsafe on the wall
1:03:24 - Hiding his disability
1:07:37 - 2028 Paralympics
1:14:54 - Climbing blindfolded
1:18:02 - Me complaining about outdoor climbing + why he loves outdoor climbing
1:23:42 - Playing blind hockey
1:25:59 - More of me complaining about outdoor climbing + what is real climbing
1:28:57 - Blind ice climbing
1:31:12 - Being an inspiration for his son
1:33:47 - Blind hockey show and tell
1:41:46 - IG Q: How long does it take to get in sync with your caller?
1:42:54 - IG Q: Does speed climbing work well for blind people?
1:49:26 - DISCORD Q: Would paraclimbers want to compete in bouldering?
1:55:25 - Words of wisdom + where to find Chaz
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