Games Within the Game — Mastery, Humor, and Climbing for Life | Tom Addison

Get ready to hang with the one and only Tom Addison from Northern California; low-key but outperforming with a lifetime of big wall ascents and a knack for crushing sport climbing up to 5.14. But hold on, there's more to Tom than just climbing—he's opened up countless first ascents across the country and fought tirelessly to preserve public lands. In today's episode, we're diving into Tom's  stories, extracting nuggets of wisdom you can apply to your own adventures. From training tricks and overcoming injuries to the joy and wisdom of building a climbing community, we cover it all. Don't miss his key takeaways on resilience, improvement at any age, and the secret to lifelong power training. Plus, he's got a wit sharper than a carabiner! Until next time, keep defying gravity and stay ageless! 🧗‍♂️✨References:Tom’s InstagramKush's InstagramAgeless Athlete InstagramAdvocacy:Access Fund: A national organization related to climbing advocacy. It is suggested that climbers can find ways to protect climbing areas, participate in existing projects, contribute to the organization, and find resources on their website. American Safe Climbing Association. Arranging hardware replacement work for climber safety. Bay Area Climbing Coalition. Place to find local climbing projects that need help in Northern CaliforniaBookshelf: Covenant for Water by Abraham Verghese (I read Cutting for Stone, loved it, so this one is next for me)Podcast Chapters:00:19 Introduction and Welcome00:40 Introducing Guest: Tom Addison00:53 Tom's Climbing Achievements and Advocacy02:04 Catching Up with Tom02:19 Discussing Climbing Locations06:44 Tom's Climbing Journey08:21 Influences and Mentors14:29 The Climbing Community15:20 Tom's First Ascents and Advocacy24:35 Challenges and Triumphs in Climbing45:37 Early Career and Passion for Climbing46:42 Transitioning to Retirement and Side Hustles47:14 Balancing Climbing and Other Life Obligations48:24 The Importance of a Balanced Lifestyle50:22 Diet and Nutrition Habits55:04 The Role of Genetics and Lifestyle in Climbing Success57:22 The Impact of Training and Persistence01:12:53 The Joy of Reading and Learning01:16:00 Getting Involved in Environmental Advocacy01:20:07 Final Thoughts and TakeawaysTimeline: Support cellular renewal and mitochondrial function with Mitopure, featuring Urolithin A. Get up to 20% off at timeline.com/AGELESSATHLETE 🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathleteTopics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention 💜 Want to stay strong and capable as you age? Join the Ageless Athlete weekly newsletter for practical ideas, deeper lessons, and insights that don’t always make it into the podcast.Join here → https://agelessathlete.substack.com/subscribeAgeless Athlete is a podcast about healthy aging for people who want to stay strong, active and capable for life. Conversations explore strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, VO2 max, muscle and bone health, and what it takes to keep doing the things you love as you get older.Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.