Madison Richardson

As a teenager, the only thing I thought about was getting as good at climbing as I possibly could. The more I practiced it and read about being a high performance athlete, the more sure I was that I wanted to go all in, to really double down. Over the course of a year, I came to the conclusion that social media was ultimately holding me back from my goals, and in a big way. Ultimately, I made the decision to remove myself from all social media and I haven't looked back. Now almost four years later, I'm still a rare breed, particularly in the professional sports industry where an online, social presence seems to be the norm. I'm more determined than ever to spread the word of the benefits of digital minimalism and help everyone, not just athletes, see the freedom and stillness that comes from a life going against the digital grain.

Through representing Canada on the World Cup Circuit and over a decade of competing and travelling on top of that, I have a wealth of experience as a professional competition sport climber and I am excited to share my journey with the climbing community. I chronicle the steps I took from visiting a climbing gym for the first time to making the National Team and breaking the top 10 in the IFSC. I go through my time without a coach and how I found the right one, why I started travelling for training, making a career out of climbing without social media, and how I forced myself to get comfortable competing internationally. I also walk through some of the doubts and setbacks I faced, and how they ultimately left me stronger and more determined to reach my goals.