Elite athlete scheme
Tom’s on top of the world
Tom Newman is studying for a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise (Coaching Science). He is also on our elite athlete scheme and is part of the Great Britain Lead Climbing Team. This involves climbing up large rock faces in a competitive environment. Though most competitions are on artificial walls, Tom’s training venues range from crags in the Yorkshire Dales, to cliff faces in the Alps. Here he talks about his passion for climbing and his determination to succeed.
How did you get into a sport like climbing?
I started climbing when I was seven-years-old. My mum promised to take me to a wall for my birthday and once I tried it, I was instantly hooked and never looked back.
So what have you been up to lately?
Mostly I’ve just been training hard and I’ve been away to a few big international competitions. Last October I went to the European Championships and did okay, finishing 24th. I also came sixth in the Climbing Works International Festival and was asked to compete in a large invitation only event called the Sky Masters at the NEC in Birmingham. In terms of training, I’ve done quite a bit in this country, but have also been away in France and the Swiss Alps.
Climbing is an individual sport, so what are the advantages of being part of a Great Britain team?
Well we train together and that is really useful to pick up different techniques from each other that can help when climbing. However, when competition time comes you cannot rely on anyone else, it’s all you. At the end of the day climbing is an individual sport and your team mates are just like any other foreign competitor that you are there to beat.
How good do you think you are at the moment and where do you see yourself at the end of your climbing career?
At the moment I am a young, aspiring climber and I think I’m doing quite well. There is a long way to go before I am at the top on a global scale. In climbing we have these things called grades which rate how hard a climb is. World class climbers are climbing at grades of 9a+ and the average everyday climber at about 5b. At the moment I’m climbing at 8b. I want to be breaking into the 9 grades and competing with the best in the world. In competition climbing I would like first to become British Climbing Champion and then who knows, maybe World Champion.
It sounds a pretty good life. Is climbing just about travelling the world and having fun or do you have to train really hard?
Climbing is about travelling and having fun definitely, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it. However, fun for me is to be achieving really hard routes or boulder problems, or winning competitions. To do this I need to train hard to make it all come true.
How has the elite athlete scheme helped you?
I have found the scheme really useful, especially with rehabilitation from injury problems. Last year I tore a tendon in my hand and the help provided was highly beneficial. I also find the free gym access and the support with my training extremely helpful and it has provided me with a cost effective way to train hard.
How do you manage to train and keep up with your academic commitments?
I think if you are passionate about sport you can always make time to train and get better. It can be hard to get my head down and do the academic work, but I’m trying to organise my time better and I get some good support from my tutors who understand the level I compete at.
Next year we will have a climbing wall on campus, are you looking forward to this?
Yes. I think it will be fantastic and a great way to get more students involved in climbing. Obviously it will be really handy for me to do a bit of training in between lectures.
