PODCAST · health
Circle Up!
by Kyra Condie, Allison Vest
Come Circle Up with Allison Vest and Kyra Condie. This podcast is the perfect length to get you psyched on your way to the gym or during a 30 min workout. Listen to some light hearted and deep diving talks into climbing, motivation, body image, mindset, and more! Great for climbers and non-climbers alike!
Episodes
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The Mentorship Sessions E5 Emily Harrington and Hazel Findlay
In this final episode of the mini series The Mentorship Sessions, we are delighted to be joined by Emily Harrington and Hazel Findlay. Both of these women have accolades and accomplishments that speak for themselves, but let go ahead and name a few to start off. Emily was the fourth woman ever to...
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E61 Does Climbing Media Under-Hype Women's Accomplishments?
In this episode—brought to you by OCUN, engineered for climbing—Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey dive into the numbers behind elite bouldering: how many women have climbed V14 or harder, how many men have climbed V16 or harder, and why climbing media still doesn’t give women’s achievements the...
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E60 HOT TAKES: Athletes Endorsing OnlyFans, the Glorification of Free Soloing, and Sports-Washing
CONTENT WARNING: Nothing too scandalous is talked about in this episode, but we do refer to the platform OnlyFans and if you are a parent, maybe listen to this episode first before letting someone under 18 listen! If you are under 18, please talk to your parent, guardian, or trusted adult before...
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E59 The Art of Training Your Weaknesses and Board Climbing Basics
Welcome back for another episode of the Circle Up! Podcast. In this episode, Kyra and Allison go over what Allison has been up to in the recent months since she hasn't been on the podcast for a while. She's mainly been in the "pain cave" focusing on training now that she's healthy and was able to...
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The Mentorship Sessions E4 with Jess and Jon Glassberg
The Glassbergs are no strangers to juggling chaos. Between running a production company (Louder Than 11), raising two-year-old twin girls, and traveling the world to capture some of the most impressive climbing of our time; their lives are full to the brim. Which is exactly why Kyra and Freddie...
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E58 Finding Stoke in the Send and Climbing Partners with Varying Ability Levels
In this episode Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey chat about how sometimes your mood (and let’s be honest) your self worth is tied to sending a rock. Kyra experienced this on her latest trip to Africa, talking about how projecting was wearing down on her and how she had a specific day where the goal...
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The Mentorship Sessions E3 with Mat Wright and Sevan Mclean
Welcome to the Mentorship Sessions, a Circle Up! mini-series where we share high-level mentorship insights through real conversations with pairs who’ve guided and learned from each other. In this episode, UK-based professional climber and full-time coach Mat Wright joins with his client and…
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The Mentorship Sessions E2 with Adventure Athletes Tim Emmett and Will Gadd
Welcome to the Mentorship Sessions! In this episode of the mini series, Kyra and Freddie interview long time friends, climbing partners, and extreme adventure multi-sport athletes Will Gadd and Tim Emmett. Tim is a professional climber, ex–base jumper, and freediver who’s pioneered deep-water...
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The Mentorship Sessions E1 with Kyra Condie and Freddie Kolwey
Welcome to The Mentorship Sessions! In this mini series, releasing throughout August and September 2025, usual host Kyra Condie paired up with Freddie Kolwey to interview pairs of mentors and mentees in order to shed light onto what makes a good relationship, why having a mentor helps in climbing...
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E57 The Great Mono Debate, Hangboarding Protocols, and Safety Concerns at World Cups
Ever wondered whether route‑setters should be throwing monos into competition climbs? Kyra and Allison had noticed an increase in the use of monos in competitions recently and so they dig into the great mono debate. Is it a legitimate test of skill or just an injury waiting to happen? Allison…
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E56 Lessons in Maturity
In this episode, brought to you by OCUN, Allison talks about reconnecting with old passions and how they’re starting to blend into her climbing career, while Kyra shares how she’s feeling more self-assured and relying on her comp experience more than ever. They chat about what the last few weeks...
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E55 Does this Count? The Grey Areas in Climbing Ethics
In this episode Kyra and Allison discuss multiple topics surrounding the "grey areas” of ethics within climbing. Things like, does a top rope ascent “count” as the first ascent of a climb? Can you down climb a climb to preserve the onsight? What about having an “oh shit” rope draped next to a...
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E54 The Highs and Lows of the First Two World Cups of 2025
In this episode, Kyra and Allison break down Kyra’s performance at the first World Cup of the season, where she made semifinals and finished tied for 11th—a strong start to the year. The following weekend brought the season’s first Lead World Cup, packed with fast-paced action and drama. From…
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E53 Exciting Changes in the World of Rock Climbing
In this episode, supported by OCÚN, Kyra is fresh off competing with the new scoring format at Team Trials. Kyra and Allison together unpack what they missed when they talked about it before actually experiencing it, and how it might change the sport moving forward. They wonder how World Cups…
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E52 The Making of the Tension Board 2 with Will Anglin
In this episode, Kyra and Allison had the pleasure of going to the Tension Climbing shop in Denver, Colorado and chatting with Will Anglin before their flight home about how the Tension brand started and how he developed the Tension Board 2 (aka the TB2). It was fascinating to learn about the...
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E51 Jesse Grupper: Antsy Rest Days, Underdog Mindset, and Making a Positive Impact
In this episode, Kyra chats with Jesse Grupper, her good friend, roommate, and fellow Olympian. Jesse and Kyra start off by sharing some insight into their house and their similarities and differences when it comes to training mindset and planning. Jesse shares his thoughts about being an...
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E50 Debating the New IFSC Bouldering Scoring System
In this episode (episode 50!!) Kyra and Allison debate and explain the new scoring system being implemented in IFSC and many other international and national events. There are big changes this year, where the old tops and zones format was changed to purely be point based. Kyra and Allison lightly...
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E49 It's Cool to Care: Finding Power with Kerry Scott
In this episode of Circle Up!, Kerry Scott shares her journey through the ups and downs of her climbing career. She talks about transitioning from competitions to outdoor climbing—and then back again—and how moving across the country to work in the climbing industry influenced her path. Kerry...
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E48: Get a Grip: Climbing Partners and Trying New Things
In this episode of Circle Up!, Kyra and Allison revisit a conversation Kyra had with Dan about climbing with a romantic partner—this time, flipping the script and asking Allison for her take. The two dive into the nuances of sharing projects, time, and training with someone you’re dating, leading...
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E47 How to Try Hard
In this episode, Kyra is joined by Dan Beall (who's stepping in for Allison while she's off crushing boulders in Vegas) and together they dive into the moments when they first saw major breakthroughs in their own climbing and talk about what they believe made the difference. Then, they explore a...
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E46 Roadtrip Ramblings: Good Tactics, Great Trip Vibes, & Supporting Your Partners
In this episode, Kyra is joined by returning guest Dan Beall to tackle some big questions: What are tactics, really? How can you best support your romantic partner while climbing? And how do you adjust expectations when health or life complications shift your plans? They bring up common mistakes…
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E45 A Wicked Good Chat with Campbell Harrison
In this episode, Kyra sits down with Campbell Harrison, Australian Olympic climber and passionate advocate for athlete representation, to explore a wide range of topics. They discuss the impacts of social media on their careers and mental health, and how it can be especially challenging following...
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E44 Power behind the Pump: Lessons in Endurance
In this episode, Kyra and Allison dive into their lesser known backgrounds as lead climbers and how it has shaped their skills as primarily boulderers. They share their favorite exercises and drills for training endurance and discuss why reflecting on your goals can help you modify your training…
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E43 Reddit Review: Life as a Mediocre Climber, V15 Potential, and Underrated Exercises
In this Episode, Kyra Condie and Dan Beall went into the recent top posts from r/climbharder and talked about some of the topics and themes they saw reoccur in recent hot posts. They talk about how, if you want to, to avoid "life as a mediocre climber" and what small changes and tweaks you can…
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E42 Training Tips and Youth Team Takeaways
In this episode, Kyra and Allison dive into listener questions from their Patreon, covering everything from building finger strength and improving crimp endurance to valuable lessons learned from their youth competition days. The conversation meanders through a variety of related topics…
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E41 Enabling Success: The Balance of Parenting an Athlete
In this episode Kyra brings on her parents once again to talk about what they do to support her at competitions and how they supported her dream of becoming a professional climber. Currently being in Santiago at the Panamerican Championships, they talk about specifics around supporting Kyra while...
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E40 Overcoming Injuries, Finding Mastery, and Common Training Mistakes
In this episode, Kyra Condie and guest Dan Beall use Dan's experience with overcoming catastrophic injuries to give some advice when facing adversity in sport. They talk about Dan's shoulder dislocation and accompanying nerve damage that left him without a clear path to recovery and how he dealt...
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E39 Can't Stop Won't Stop
This week, Kyra and Allison get real about the struggle to balance their climbing obsession with the reality of needing rest days. The talk about the challenges of having a never-ending season both in competitions and with outdoor climbing (something is always "in-season") and how hard it can be…
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E38 Rocklands Reflections
In this episode, Kyra recounts her past two trips to Rocklands, South Africa for climbing trips and how she approached her third one differently than the first two. She remembers some lessons learned from her first trip in 2016, what she did wrong (like switching birth control right before...
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E37 Beta & Banter: Strong Partners, Ex Partners, and Romantic Partners
In this episode of the Beta & Banter series Kyra and Allison chat about how to deal with a self deprecating climbing partner, when (and how) to avoid an ex at the climbing gym, and how does all that advice carry over to climbing with your romantic partner. other questions included what their...
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E36 Codes of the Crags: Climbing Etiquette Inside and Out
In this episode, Allison and Kyra dive into the tricky world of climbing etiquette and ethics—both indoors and outdoors. From navigating social situations, like approaching someone with headphones in at the gym or downgrading someones "first of the grade", to managing the vibe at the crag when…
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E35 Beck on Top: Talking with Mo Beck about Paraclimbing’s Paralympic Inclusion and More!
In this episode Kyra and Allison dive into the exciting world of paraclimbing and its growth into becoming a Paralympic sport. Special guest Mo Beck, a 2X World Champion Paraclimber and 10 time AU2 Paraclimbing National Champion, shares her experiences and insights on the growth of adaptive...
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E34 Post Paris Perspectives with Olympian Campbell Harrison
In this episode, Kyra is joined once again by her good friend and fellow pro climber, now an Olympian, Campbell Harrison. Together, they dive into Campbell's unforgettable experience at the Paris 2024 Olympics. They discuss everything from what Australia did best in the Olympic Village to...
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E33 Commentary Queens: Men's and Women's Combined Finals in Paris
Allison and Kyra give their unfiltered thoughts and feelings about the Men's and Women's Combined Finals at the Olympics in Paris. From whether their predictions were corrects, to heartbreaking moments and dealing with performance pressure, hear their recap and insights into what the athletes…
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E32 Commentary Queens: The First 4 Days of Sport Climbing in Paris
Allison and Kyra give their thoughts on the first 4 days of the Paris 2024 Olympic Sport Climbing events. From heartbreaks to broken world records, there was so much excitement in the first 4 days that everyone is excited to see what the next two days has in store. From their own predictions of…
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E31 Beta & Banter: Your Questions Our Answers
In this first episode of “Beta & Banter” Kyra and Allison answer questions from the listeners! This will likely become a regular segment or work in as stand alone episodes of the podcast. From how to avoid burnout as a youth climber to how to deal with being the “worst” climber of your group of...
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E30 World Cup Rambles and Olympic Realizations
This week’s episode is Kyra and Allison’s first attempt at recording with each other online instead of in person, so sorry for any audio quality differences! Allison and Kyra start by chatting about the impact route setting has on injuries we see at competitions and the challenging job of route...
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E29 Like Mother Like Daughter
In this week's episode, Kyra and her mom, Cathy, talk about Cathy's career as an electrical engineer in the biomedical space. Cathy shares some personal stories from when she was in school, the challenges of raising two kids while getting her Master's Degree from the University of Minnesota, and...
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E28 Are you ready for some hot takes?
Welcome to our first episode of Hot Takes! Wondering about socks in your climbing shoes? If climbing a harder grade makes you immune to being a "gumby"? Or have you ever wondered if climbing v15 or getting a sub 5 second time on the speed wall is more impressive? Kyra and Allison share all their...
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E27 The Down Under Lowdown with Campbell Harrison
In this episode Campbell Harrison, future Olympian and World Cup climber from Australia, takes Allison's place alongside Kyra. They talk about competition stresses, imposter syndrome, mental health, training far from home, the trials and tribulations of addressing RED-s in climbing, and their…
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E26 Pushing Past Plateaus
Allison and Kyra tackle the subject of mental and physical plateaus in this week's episode. From how to turn mentally "weak" days into successful sessions and tricks to switch up your training (or when to back off) when you're in a rut.
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E25 "Back" on Top
In this episode Allison takes on an interviewer role and talks to Kyra about her "back story". They cover how Kyra originally found out she had scoliosis, the surgery, the Olympics, and learning to cope with having a form of a disability. Should be interesting for those with and without scoliosis!
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E24 World Cup Recaps and Revelations
Allison and Kyra recap the recent start to the world cup season both with Kyra's attendance at the events and general thoughts about how competitions are run and what could be done better/different in the future. They talk about weather-related delays, the new trends in route-setting, Kyra's...
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E23 Catching Up!
Kyra and Allison catch up about what they've been doing during their podcasting break. They give insight into some of their life updates and how they use body cues to know when they should back off training or increase training load. They also talk about the pros and cons of using a training...
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E22 Olympic Pursuits: A Rundown
Kyra and Allison break down everything you need, and didn't need, to know about what has happened thus far on the Road to Paris 2024. Starting with a recap of the excitement and World Championships, they go into a play by play of what happened and who qualified at every Olympic Qualifying Event…
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E21 Resting is Training
Kyra and Allison use this episode to talk about the importance of rest days, not only making them ACTUALLY restful, but learning to be ok with taking rest days and knowing that a good rest day is part of a good training plan. They use some of their own experiences with the feelings of…
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E20 Balancing Positivity and Authenticity
Kyra and Allison do a deep dive in this episode into their own emotions and experiences. They both reflect on what has helped them the most during a negative spiral, whatever it was caused by. Many of us tend to be very emotionally invested in our sports performances, so whether it's yourself or...
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E19 Climbing Queries: Your Top Questions Answered
Kyra and Allison use this episode to first answer some fun, non-climbing questions about "who is more likely to"--hopefully giving the listeners a chance to get to know the two of them better. Then, at 10:40, they start answering some of the burning climbing-related questions they've received…
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E18 [Not] One of the 'Boys'
In this episode, Kyra and Allison talk lightly about a serious topic: the macho culture of climbing, both indoor and out. They share their experiences growing up in male dominated training spaces and how that shaped them to be the climbers and people they are.
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E17 The Life of a Pro Climber
Kyra and Allison are both back from their climbing-packed summers and are excited to share with everyone what they've been up to during their recent podcasting hiatus. First they talk about how they make their livings from being a pro climber and then they recap about their respective trips....
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Come Circle Up with Allison Vest and Kyra Condie. This podcast is the perfect length to get you psyched on your way to the gym or during a 30 min workout. Listen to some light hearted and deep diving talks into climbing, motivation, body image, mindset, and more! Great for climbers and non-climbers alike!
HOSTED BY
Kyra Condie, Allison Vest
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Circle Up! have?
Circle Up! currently has 66 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Circle Up! about?
Come Circle Up with Allison Vest and Kyra Condie. This podcast is the perfect length to get you psyched on your way to the gym or during a 30 min workout. Listen to some light hearted and deep diving talks into climbing, motivation, body image, mindset, and more! Great for climbers and non-climbers...
How often does Circle Up! release new episodes?
Circle Up! has 66 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Circle Up!?
You can listen to Circle Up! on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Circle Up!?
Circle Up! is created and hosted by Kyra Condie, Allison Vest.
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