Sierra Blair-Coyle. The Rock Climbing Princess:

“Mediamax Sport” continues “Sports Beauty of the Week” series.

Rock climbing is a professional sport for 20-year old Sierra Blair-Coyle. Over 2010, she was the youngest qualifier for the World Cup. Sierra has already competed in over 100 rock climbing competitions. She is also seriously committed to education and studies at Arizona State University.

We talked to student, athlete and simply beauty Sierra Blair-Coyle about the peculiarities of a sport type not so popular in Armenia as well as about beauty secrets, education and so on.



-Sierra, You started rock climbing at the age of eight. Children usually play with toys at this age.

-I fell in love with climbing because something about it just felt right to me.  I love being able to climb and forget about everything else.

-For those of us who have never climbed, how exactly do you train for it?

-Most climbing training is actually climbing. While it seems like a simple idea, the best way to improve your climbing abilities is to climb as much as possible.

-Have you ever been injured while climbing a rock?



-Yes. I think my worst injury was a bulging, torn, and herniated disc. Thankfully it is healed now, but it was a difficult injury to deal with.

-Nobody is completely fearless of heights. It really gets scary sometimes. How do you cope with the fear?

-I have been climbing for over 11 years, so I am used to the heights at this point.  Whenever I feel fearful I count backwards from 10 in my head, it helps me calm down and allows to focus.

-What do the best climbers have in common? What sets a good climber apart from a gifted one?

-The best climbers train the hardest. They work hard and dedicate their life to climbing. A good climber has it all – talent, motivation and skills, while a gifted climber just has the talent.

-Describe rock climbing in one sentence.



-Rock climbing is a crazy sport where you are always pushing the limits and the heights, literally.

-What are your strengths when it comes to climbing? What should you work on?
 
-I think my strength in climbing is being creative; I can get pretty crafty when I need to figure out how to do a move.  I need to work on my strength, I am getting stronger, but there is always room for improvement.

-What do you do when you’re not climbing?

-When I’m not climbing I am usually doing homework for school, hanging out with friends/family and relaxing.

-What do you have planned next?

-My next competition is ABS Nationals on February 21-22.  Past that, I am planning on attending some world cups in the spring.



-What has climbing given to you?

-Climbing has given me an even better life than I could have ever imagined. It has taught me that hard work pays off and that I can accomplish my dreams.

-What is the biggest misconception people have about what makes a good climber?

-The biggest misconception people have about what makes a good climber is hand strength.  Your hands need to be strong for climbing, but it takes so much more than that to be a good climber.

-Least favorite part of trainings?



-Being sore is my least favorite part of training. Some days I am so sore it hurts to put my clothes on in the morning!

-Do you kick and scream on climbs while getting nervous?

-No.  I approach climbing in a relaxed manner.

-You also study at Arizona State University. Is it difficult deal with sports and education at the same time?

-I am a marketing major with a concentration in digital and integrated marketing communications.  It is hard to attend college and climb professionally at the same time, but it is very worth the challenge.  I feel very accomplished being able to balance both.

-Sierra, you also appear in photo shoots for different magazines. Which is your favorite photo shoot?

-I have been in a variety of magazines, local, national and global.  My favorite photo shoots are definitely with Roxy, they are a blast!

-Beauty tips from Sierra Blair Coyle.



-I love having my nails/toes painted, it is a fun way to express myself. I also like to try and make different exciting pony-tails when I compete. It is fun to mix up my style!

-Do you know any Armenian athletes?

-I know about the four athletes competing in the Olympics, I wish them the best of luck!

-Sierra, Congratulations! I would like to inform you that this week you are named Mediamax Sport’s “Sport Beauty of the week”.

-Thank you, I am honored!  I’d love to wish everyone a happy 2014, with many fun adventures!


Sierra Blair-Coyle was interviewed by Narine Daneghyan.