EP 190: Josh Champion — Quitting After Sending V13, and Reengaging With Climbing in a Healthier Way

Josh Champion is an MD and elite boulderer based in Portland, Oregon. Josh and I hung out in 2017 during my infamous Bishop trip. Since then he moved to Colorado for residency, got even stronger, and then quit climbing shortly after sending his first three V13s. We talked about why he quit for three years, how he improved his relationship with climbing, helpful books, building Just Beta, and much more!

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Show Notes:  

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/josh-champion

Nuggets:

0:00:00 – Intro/Ads

0:03:51 – Intermittent fasting, Josh’s “salad”, and diet soda in the morning

0:07:15 – Reminiscing about the 2017 Bishop trip, Josh’s send of Mandala, and clarifying the timing of my journey with disordered eating

0:12:07 – What happened to Josh after the 2017 trip, and moving to Colorado for residency

0:17:55 – How the pandemic affected his work, and sending his first three V13s

0:19:28 – Putting V13 on a pedestal

0:23:51 – Expectations vs reality of achieving a goal

0:26:21 – Delayed gratification vs learning how to enjoy the process

0:27:52 – Josh and I explore what drives us to pursue goals, and pure inspiration vs seeking approval from others

0:33:41 – Why Josh quit climbing

0:36:16 – What it felt like to quit, filling the gap, and creating BetaCache

0:42:35 – Finding a new physical outlet, and his mindset shift after being away from climbing

0:47:27 – Discovering who you are without climbing

0:49:34 – Not missing climbing, Josh’s antagonistic climbing friendship, and being free from comparison

0:52:48 – What brought him back to climbing

0:55:41 – Working on his relationship with climbing

1:01:14 – The Zen of Climbing

1:07:22 – Inner balance and friction

1:09:48 – Feeling cautious but optimistic, and shifting the emphasis

1:11:52 – Trying Woods Climb in Red Rocks, and plans for his upcoming trip to Moe’s Valley

1:16:34 – Meeting Jonathan Siegrist, starting to climb because we enjoyed it, and when that shifted for Josh

1:23:43 – Seeking challenge is healthy until you start putting numbers on it

1:27:44 – Treating climbing like a martial art or a craft

1:30:28 – Finding satisfaction and accomplishment in the process

1:31:44 – Josh’s thoughts about trying hard projects in the future

1:34:29 – Letting go of needing to check climbs off the list

1:37:27 – What inner work looks like, and Josh’s claim to fame

1:41:31 – The value of learning lessons the hard way

1:44:19 – Realizing you are not alone

1:45:54 – Why Josh created BetaCache,