Young Calgary climber keeps reaching new heights

Sport climbing or bouldering is a sport you can do for fun, or you can do competitively, and it caught Gilby Grant's attention at a young age.

Gilby Grant loves to climb.

It all started when he was 11 years old, and he says the first time he got on that wall, there was no turning back.

“Most youth climbers, they start with going to a friend’s birthday party,” said Grant, now 18.

“That was the same way I started. I just fell in love with it right away.

“I’m not sure why. I think maybe the problem-solving. It’s not just pulling hard or being strong—it’s also a mental workout.”

Ranked No. 1 in province

Grant keeps reaching new heights every year.

He’s the No. 1 ranked junior boulderer aged 17 to 19 in Alberta and in March, he won the youth provincials, which he says was all about hard work paying off.

“The past three or four years, I’ve been in contention for a podium finish, and this year, I’ve just been really focused on my training and really prioritizing everything and it just kind of fell into place,” he said.

Busy May

Grant also finished fourth in the open category.

Up next is the North American Cup in Montreal at the beginning of May and then the nationals in Vancouver in the middle of May.

Grant says he’s not thinking about results at the nationals.

“I try not to have too many expectations for nationals just because the level is definitely higher. But yeah, just focusing on trying my hardest and trying to remain composed—that sort of thing,” he said.

The future

Grant is a hard worker.

He trains four times a week, three hours a day.

He says his goal is to try to take the sport further.

“I would like to one day be on the national team. I’ve got a lot of work to get there, but that would be really cool,” he said.