Adam Ondra was raised by a family of climbers and it wasn’t long before he also caught the climbing bug. Photo Pavel Blazek

ADAM ONDRA is a man who oozes humility despite his reputation as one of the planet’s top climbers as well as holding a record most thought was unattainable in the sport.

Perhaps growing up in a climbing family who didn’t didn’t push him into the pastime but instead only every supported or encouraged him when he required it has something to do with him seemingly well-rounded view of the world.

While not showy or egotistical once you get Adam on the topic of climbing his burning desire to continue to push boundaries and raise expectations soon becomes to surface.

When did you start climbing and who inspired you to give the sport a go?

I started climbing very early. I was born in an environment where everybody climbed. My parents, my sister, our family friends. I was a small kid, I was playing in the dirt under the crags and I watched my parents climbing and it was just natural to climb as well as I did not want to be the only one around who is not climbing. When I was six, I went for my first competition, I realised I was quite good at climbing and got completely hooked. Since then, I had been climbing at least 4 days a week, and I have never stopped. Important fact is that my parents never really pushed me into climbing, it was almost the other way around that they had to convince me that I should not climb every single day.

 What were some of your earliest successes as a climber?

I went for my first competitions when I was six and I took third place. It was motivating and I wanted to be first next time. It did not take very long until I would place first on every single comp. But there was also the world of outdoor rock climbing. And I wanted to get better in that. Every year, I made steady progression and when I was 13, I climbed my first 9a (5.14d), which is a grade even today highly appreciated.

Adam Ondra started competing at the age of six and has always maintained a routine of climbing at least four days a week. Photo Pavel Blazek

Who were your biggest role models and mentors at the beginning?

I had two – one was Tomas Mrazek, a climber from the same time who became a World Champion in 2003 and 2005. And then it was Wolfgang Gullich, a German climber who was pushing the limits of this sport during the 80’s. I’d read about him in the book called Rock Stars, which blew my mind. It features profiles of the best climbers in the history and I just wanted to be like those Rockstars when I was a little kid.

Adam is the first-ever climber to win World Championships in two disciplines. Photo Pavel Blazek

Tell us about your incredible World Championships record and what you see as your other biggest achievements in the sport?

World Championships take place every two years in climbing, so it is pretty prestigious and rare occasion, a lot of pressure to perform on that day, at that moment. There are three disciplines in climbing – lead, bouldering and speed. In 2014, I became the first climber ever to win World Championships in two disciplines, and I even managed to do that during the same year. In 2016, I took gold in lead and came second in bouldering.

What are your goals and ambitions in the sport for the months and years ahead?

My goal is to push my limits in rockclimbing for this year. Next year, my attention will shift to the competitions with the ultimate goal of the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020. Then, everything is opened, but there is still a lot to work on and I still have big goals in rockclimbing.

It’s all smiles as Adam and his rock climbing gang pose for a picture together. Photo Pavel Blazek