Sends And Suffers

Elliott Nguyen says that as a second-generation Vietnamese-American, queer, transgender climber, when he first started climbing he didn’t meet many people who looked like him. But, he found a sense of belonging in the adaptive climbing community.

Elliott is often on the podiums of both National and World Para Climbing Championships, and is on the board of ParaCliffhangers. He's also a grad student in social work at UC Berkeley, and...

Emeline Lakrout is a para climber and disability rights activist. She's been legally blind since childhood and has competed on the US National Para Climbing Team since 2022. Currently based out of NYC, she works as a marketer in the consumer products industry, and uses that expertise to consult brands on disability inclusion on the side. Among other things, her consultation focuses on disability language.

She’s worked on disabili...

In this episode you’ll hear an excerpt from my conversation with Amruta Wyssman, who goes by Amy. She started bouldering in 2018, and by 2021 she was helping to start the Swiss Paraclimbing team. Before climbing, Amy was into all kinds of snow sports. So, we talked about the similarities between different outdoor sports, like climbing, snowboarding, horseback riding…ect. These sports are slowly making their way into the Olympics an...

In this episode, we hear from Jared Lenahan, a US Navy Veteran. He was a combat medic for the Marine Corps known as a Fleet Marine Force Corpsman. After an accident overseas in 2014, he found himself going from climber to paraclimber.

He used adaptive climbing as an integral part of his recovery and has competed as a US Paraclimbing Team Athlete for four years. Jared is also an ambassador for both the National Ability Center and ...

Join us in a conversation with Houston-based coach, Dru Stulb, in this episode of Sends and Suffers. Host Mario Stanley and Dru discuss climbing evolution, coaching, and personal growth. Learn about Dru's journey from enthusiast to coach, the role of climbing coaches, and their impact on the sport.

Discover the joys of coaching, challenges faced, and the rewards of seeing athletes grow. We also discuss the socio-economic challeng...

Pete Woods walks you through the thrilling world of climbing. A highly respected ESPN climbing broadcaster and experienced youth coach, Pete provides a fascinating glimpse into his climbing journey's exhilarating heights and challenging lows.

Pete shares his early days of climbing passion that fueled him to coach young climbers. Pete's unwavering enthusiasm for the sport and commitment to the climbing community is palpable from coa...

To kick off this special collaborative podcast project, we’ve got a conversation with two undeniable pillars of the adaptive climbing community, Ronnie Dickson, and Maureen, better known as Mo, Beck. We're talking about the annual Adaptive Climbers Festival. The festival was started by a whole rowdy crew of climbers and allies -- Ronnie and Mo are two of the current organizers. 

Ronnie is based out of Chattanooga and leads the gr...

In this enthralling edition of the Sends and Suffers podcast, delight in a deep dive into the adventurous and exciting world of rock climbing. Our host, Mario Stanley, brings to life the spectrum of experiences and passions that constitute the climbing culture.

In this episode, Mario brings our attention to the heart and soul of a unique indoor climbing gym, The Blök, in Fort Worth, Texas. He ventures into the lives of this gym's v...