EP 175: Ady Wright — The Pressure of Opportunity, Acts of Rebellion, and Eating Oreos for Breakfast

Ady Wright is a climbing instructor and routesetter based in New York. We met up in Red Rock and recorded a nice long chat in the van, covering her introduction to climbing and routesetting, why she pivoted from veterinary science, being raised by a cautious father, analyzing risk, the benefits of meal prepping, losing her grandmother to cancer, the pressure that comes with opportunity, the rebellious act of existing, and much more!

Check out The Nugget on YouTube:

youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing

Check out PhysiVantage!

physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)

Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!

Check out AG1!

drinkAG1.com/NUGGET

Use this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!

Check out Rumpl!

rumpl.com/nugget

Use code "NUGGET" at checkout for 10% off your first order!

Check out Rocky Talkie!

RockyTalkie.com/Nugget

Use this link to get 10% off your first order of backcountry radios!

We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:

• Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Renzollama, Zach Emery, and Brandt Mickolas

Become a Patron:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:  

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/ady-wright

Nuggets:

0:03:56 – Ady’s breakfast, and serendipitous timing

0:05:56 – Ady’s first vacation, and how an outdoor climbing trip fuels routesetting

0:13:04 – Her head setter Ryan, and earning her stripes

0:18:16 – Learning to set above her level, the complexity of grades, and setting boulders vs. routes

0:24:32 – Studying veterinary science, wanting to be a zoo veterinarian, and pivoting to be a full-time climber

0:33:03 – Being the first in her family to do many things

0:36:58 – Going camping for the first time, and a reminder of how recent slavery was in this country

0:40:56 – Going with the flow, and everything in moderation

0:44:45 – The benefits of meal prepping

0:46:02 – Being hard on herself, and sharing experiences with people that look like her

0:49:53 – My conversation with Brittany Leavitt, travel safety, and where the feeling of not doing enough comes from

0:54:24 – The pressure that comes with opportunity

0:59:22 – Losing her grandmother to cancer, and crying for the things she didn’t get to have

1:01:01 – The influence Ady hopes to have on the routesetting industry, and how being cautious has saved her

1:06:06 – Privilege layers, and needing to talk with people to actually know them

1:09:29 – Writing novels and producing music

1:10:57 – Mom

1:19:00 – A question from Marie-Louise: When Ady climbs, is she in her body or is it more of an out-of-body experience?

1:24:11 – Who inspires Ady in climbing and routesetting

1:28:17 – Ady’s goal to make routsetting more accessible

1:31:20 – Ady’s climbing goals, and her style

1:34:32 – Being intimidated by overhangs

1:35:57 – Immersing in a specific style

1:37:40 – Lifting weights, and the 3 pieces of advice Ady got from Tyson Schoene

1:41:15 – The exercise that helped Ady with her elbow tendonitis

1:46:50 – Gymnast tension, and the yin and yang of climbing

1:48:26 – PT Day, splits, and recovery

1:52:06 – “It’s really expensive to be a great athlete”, and running from coyotes

1:54:23 – Thoughts on sponsorship

1:58:08 – Stories of walking in New York City

2:01:00 – Being in the shelter system for a year

2:06:38 – Loving most of New York

2:09:18 – What frustrates Ady

2:13:39 – Feeling hopeful and falling in love with people

2:17:07 – Skateboarding

2:19:50 – Getting mentorship from Sam Elias, and learning from each climb

2:24:47 – Practice makes better

2:29:38 – Believe and validate

2:32:58 – The clubhouse