Emily Phillips

Climbing

'The best part has got to be the satisfaction and joy of reaching that top hold. It's that which pushes me on and gives me the determination to do one more push-up or make one more move'

Read about Emily's most recent competitions at www.emilyclimbing.com

Background

Emily has been climbing since she was 5 years old, when she first tried it during a family holiday on the Isle of Wight. Back at home in Cardiff she started on the National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) and having completed this, her coaches encouraged her to try competing. Having won her first Regional and Welsh Championships, Emily then went on to be the only person to win the British Youth Climbing Series three years in a row.

Training

Emily trains 6 days a week at the climbing gym but also has a climbing wall in her bedroom to help her train as often as possible. She often cycles into school early to catch-up on work before everyone else arrives. Most evenings are spent training but Emily is careful to make sure she has plenty of rest time too, as this is an important part of her training plan.

Future Goals

Ultimately Emily would like to represent Great Britain at the Olympics and to this end, she wants to improve her world ranking and make it to the finals in the World Championships. Closer to home, Emily also hopes to retain her Lead and Speed title in the UK and come first in the Junior British Bouldering Championships.