Like any college student, Sierra Blair-Coyle has a lot going on\u2014from her studies in\u00a0marketing at Arizona State, to spending time with her family, to hanging out with friends and making time for hobbies like baking and gardening. But this 21-year-old has thrown one more thing into the mix: She\u2019s a professional rock climber.<\/p>\n
Climbing has been a part of Sierra\u2019s life since she was 8 years old, and she\u2019s been competing at the pro level since she was just 14. She\u2019s a two-time national champion and now competes all over the world. And despite her accomplishments, she\u2019s down-to-earth, sincere, and one of the friendliest people you\u2019ll ever meet.<\/p>\n
We chatted with the Scottsdale native about how she started, her favorite spots to climb, and what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n
How did you get into rock climbing<\/b>?
\nI started climbing when I was 8 years old. My first introduction was at an outdoor mall by my house in Arizona where they had a portable rock climbing wall. I just fell in love with it immediately. I begged my parents to take me back every day. Usually there was a time limit for how long you could climb, but the guys who ran it would let me climb for hours.<\/p>\n
![\"sierra-blair-coyle3\"](\"http:\/\/live-wanderlust-fest.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/sierra-blair-coyle3.jpg\")
When did you know you wanted to be a professional climber?
\n<\/b>I told my parents I wanted to be a professional rock climber right when I started, but at the time they didn\u2019t know that it was an organized sport and that you even could<\/i> go pro. But then my mom saw an article in the local newspaper about a rock climbing team. So I signed up and started climbing with the team, and it just kind of snowballed from there<\/p>\n
What do you love most about climbing<\/b>?
\nI think I most love the people. I\u2019ve gotten to have so much fun and make so many friends. I love climbing itself, but I really love the shared experience of climbing. I\u2019ve made friends both in my local gym and in other states and countries. It\u2019s been a really good way to build relationships.<\/p>\n
Where are some of your favorite places to climb<\/b>?
\nThere\u2019s some really great places to climb in Hawaii\u2014it\u2019s just gorgeous there. I also love Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas. And here in Arizona there\u2019s great climbing.<\/p>\n
Are there any other climbing destinations you haven\u2019t tried yet but want to<\/b>?
\nMy number one is Virgin Gorda in the Caribbean\u2014gorgeous boulders, beautiful teal waters, it\u2019s just amazing.<\/p>\n
Are there certain styles of climbing you love most?
\n<\/b>I dabble with a bit of everything, but bouldering is my favorite right now.<\/p>\n
Are there any other hobbies outside of climbing you\u2019re into<\/b>?
\nI really like to read and bake and watch movies. I made a really good flourless chocolate cake the other day\u2014anything chocolate goes over well in my house. And I\u2019ve been experimenting with chickpea flour.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve also just gotten into gardening. We transformed two flower beds into gardens at home and we\u2019re growing things like spaghetti squash, basil, rosemary, cucumbers, zucchini, cantaloupe, pumpkin, and beets.<\/p>\n
![\"sierra-blair-coyle-sanuk\"](\"http:\/\/live-wanderlust-fest.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/sierra-blair-coyle-sanuk-768x1024.jpg\")
What have been some career highlights so far?
\n<\/b>The first time I won nationals, that was really cool for me. I was 11, and it\u2019s just such a cool thing when you realize we won\u2014it\u2019s insane. But more recently I placed third in this competition called Dominion Riverrock. I had been feeling good about how I was climbing, but it hadn\u2019t been showing in my competitions, so it was really awesome to get back on the podium.<\/p>\n
Are there any goals you\u2019re working on right now<\/b>?
\nI\u2019m on the professional world circuit this summer. My goal is to make it into the finals at one of the events, which is the top six climbers, so it\u2019s tough. And my other goal is to make it into the top 10 climbers in the world.<\/p>\n
What inspires you<\/b>?
\nOther people inspire me. I\u2019ve gotten to meet a lot of really cool people through climbing. There\u2019s this one guy at my gym who just tries so hard whenever he climbs, really gives it his all. And he\u2019s not a professional or anything, but you can just see how dedicated he is. I look for that in people, and just try to be inspired by that strength, because people are doing cool things everywhere you look.<\/p>\n
Do you have a mantra<\/b>?
\nThe one thing that I like to remember is this quote: \u201cRealize how good you really are.\u201d It really hits home; I think everyone forgets how great how are they are sometimes.<\/p>\n
Photos courtesy of Sierra Blair-Coyle<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We chat with the down-to-earth Sierra Blair-Coyle about her impressive career, her favorite climbing spots, and what inspires her each day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":28657,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1058],"tags":[185,1162],"class_list":["post-28655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wander","tag-wanderlust-adventure","tag-climbing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n