Cat Runner is the winner of the HBO show The Climb. Cat sat down with me and Ethan Pringle at our cabin here in Rocklands to talk about what his life has looked like after The Climb, his experience filming the show, the stereotypical trans narrative in the media, why he chooses to be visible, his ungendered childhood, gender roles in sports, why people feel threatened by trans or queer identities, dealing with trolls, owning your accomplishments, building the Queer Climber’s Network, Rocklands highlights, and much more!
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/cat-runner
Nuggets:
0:04:44 – Cat’s tea situation
0:07:53 – Ethan’s coffee addiction, and why he doesn’t drink it before doing something scary
0:11:20 – The Queer Climbers’ Network
0:16:15 – Life after winning The Climb
0:22:23 – Finding community through climbing, and helping others find that too
0:25:37 – Cat’s experience filming and watching the show
0:28:54 – Being trans as part of Cat’s identity, and how that came across in the show
0:30:38 – More behind the scenes, and what the climbing experience was like on the show
0:32:15 – Meeting Jason Mamoa, and meme accounts
0:34:14 – The reaction to the show, and getting messages from trans kids and their parents
0:36:35 – The stereotypical trans narrative in the media, and pushing people into the role of spokesperson
0:39:22 – Choosing to be visible, being proud of being trans, and seeing a future
0:42:36 – Being who he needed when he was younger, and trying to change one person’s world
0:44:14 – What Cat would have benefitted from as a kid, experiencing severe depression, and knowing he’s a part of the future
0:46:36 – Reading The Alchemist, and having intimate connections with individual people
0:51:43 – Cat’s childhood, transitioning within the binary, and how his gender identity has evolved
0:58:14 – Connecting with he/him pronouns
1:00:36 – Why people feel threatened by trans or queer identities, trolls, and the reaction to my video clip with Alayna Joy about climbing as a queer space
1:07:30 – Why Cat is particular about who he climbs with
1:10:28 – The trolliest of troll questions
1:11:16 – People’s insecurities, and “we’re all performing”
1:15:03 – Knowing when to give your energy to people, and leading with respect
1:19:36 – “Trans people are humans”, and the stat that 80% of Americans have never met a person they know to be trans
1:22:00 – An issue of isolation and ignorance
1:25:16 – Hopeful conversations, anti-trans legislation, and false information about gender-affirming care
1:27:56 – Cat’s parents
1:31:50 – Gender roles and sports, and the gender gap in climbing
1:38:25 – Height in climbing, the subjectivity of grades, and why outdoor rock climbing is so cool
1:43:49 – Rapid Fire: Best decision
1:44:19 – Rapid Fire: Most proud of
1:49:09 – Rapid Fire: What frustrates you
2:01:00 – Taking responsibility
2:03:28 – “Take! Falling!”
2:05:02 – Rapid Fire: Favorite rock type
2:07:46 – Rapid Fire: Ultimate dream climb
2:15:36 – Rapid Fire: Favorite send reward
2:17:04 – Rapid Fire: Go-to climbing shoes
2:23:00 – Rapid Fire: Desert Island DVD
2:25:31 – Rapid Fire: Favorite album for a long drive
2:28:49 – The one thing Cat wants people to know about trans stuff
2:31:29 – Taking representation seriously, and how sharing human stories cracks people open
2:38:17 – Doing your best, and sharing information with your circle
2:44:30 – Cat’s ankle injury, and his tick list from Rocklands
EP 133: Neil Gresham — Using Ballet to Climb Harder, Developing Your Finishing Game, and Extensor Training for Stronger Fingers
EP 132: Rebecca Williams — A Deep Dive Into Fear of Falling, the Self-Soothing System, and Climbing Smarter
EP 131: Ryan Devlin — Life as a TV Actor, Progressing From 11b to 12c in a Year, and How Pro Climbers Relate to Struggle
EP 130: Stian Christophersen & Martin Mobråten — Writing The Climbing Bible, Finger Strength vs. General Strength, and Strategies for Improving Technique
Follow-Up: Matt Fultz — How to Train for the Hardest Crimp Boulders in the World (Teaser)
EP 129: Dorian Evers — How to Navigate Different Stoke Levels in Your Relationship, and Getting Vulnerable with Your Partner
EP 128: Callie Joy Black — Training During Pregnancy, Climbing Hard with Kids, and Being Your Own Project
Follow-Up: Steve Maisch — My Summer Training Plan, and How to Get Stronger on the Moonboard (Teaser)
EP 127: Jesse Firestone — Bouldering Tactics, Quantum Leaps, and Non-Physical Factors That Affect Our Performance
BONUS: Michelle LeBlanc — An Upcoming 2SLGBTQ+ Pride Event in Squamish
S1E2: The Great Equalizer (Repost from The American Climbing Project)
EP 126: Devin Dabney — Getting Uncomfortable, How Climbing Saved His Life, and How Competition Makes Us Better
Follow-Up: Alita Contreras — Sending Her First 5.14a, and Training With Lattice (Teaser)
EP 125: Zofia Reych — The Heritage of Climbing, Breaking Down Gender Roles, and What It’s Like to Be Autistic
EP 124: Karly Rager — Mental Strategies for Developing Focus, Learning vs. Performing, and Building a Coaching Business
EP 123: Magnus Midtbø — The Hard Work Behind Success, Go-To Climbing Workouts, and Takeaways from Training with Adam Ondra
Follow-Up: Chad Andrews — The Pros and Cons of Living on the Road to Climb, and Having a Healthier Relationship with Money (Teaser)
EP 122: Jared Vagy — How to Prevent Knee, Shoulder, Elbow, and Finger Injuries as Climbers
EP 121: Carol Simpson — Being a Girl in the South in the 1950s, Yoga as the Fountain of Youth, and Ageism in Climbing
EP 120: Lea Volpe — The World of Paraclimbing Competitions, How We Perceive Wheelchairs, and Empathy in Coaching
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