'Climbing is one of the most gender-equal sports out there'

As part of Her World’s Health and Wellness Report 2022, where we surveyed over 6,000 women in Singapore, we bring to attention some of the key areas our readers are most interested in through personal stories.

And in this three-part series on physical health, we shine the spotlight on women who are at the top of their game in traditionally male-dominated sports.

Xu Liting, a 33-year-old communications consultant that rock climbs competitively and that has won all of the main bouldering competitions in Singapore at least once, tells us about what she loves about the sport and what she makes of its gender dynamics.

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“I was introduced to climbing when I got a job as a programmes manager at a climbing gym while studying for my degree. I got hooked on it pretty quickly because it is different from other sports – it involves an element of problem solving. Every time I go to the gym, I’m faced with various ‘problems’ of varying complexities, so every session is exciting.

I’m not a professional as I don’t get paid to do it, so I need a full-time job to earn a living. However, I’ve competed both locally and internationally and have won all of the main bouldering competitions in Singapore at least once.

One of my favourite competitions was the 2019 Moonboard Masters, in which anyone across the globe could take part remotely using a standardised set-up. I won the international competition and got sponsored by the company that organised it.

Gender dynamics of climbing has changed a lot over the past couple of years

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Climbing may be a traditionally male-dominated sport but that has changed a lot over the past couple of years, at least in Singapore.

While I haven’t faced any major discrimination as a female climber, there are times where male climbers make thoughtless remarks such as ‘she’s only good because she’s so light’. Yes, strength-to-weight ratio counts, but they forget that since women are smaller and shorter, it also means we have to work harder to get through each move.

In my opinion, climbing is one of the most gender-equal sports out there. And if we go by the grading system, men and women are not that far apart when it comes to how hard they can climb.

To me, women can unlock their potential if they’re able to not let their self-consciousness get to them: At least from what I’ve observed in the local climbing community, a lot of the time, women are the ones holding themselves back.

Because women tend to be more easily intimidated, they might shy away from attempting problems when there are other ‘stronger’ climbers around.

Of course, it’d help if there is a more inclusive gym culture, and there are more and more gyms in Singapore where I see more women being comfortable enough to push themselves. However, at the end of the day, it is a mindset that has to be changed from within.

The most rewarding thing is seeing progression

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Even though I compete, I’m not a competitive person, thus one of the things I love about climbing is that it’s you against the problem you’re trying to solve. It is important to keep that in mind and not give in to the pressure of being scrutinised when you’re on the wall.

One of the things I’ve had to sacrifice for climbing is my social life – my life is pretty much work, climb, sleep, repeat. I don’t feel bad about it though because I feel fortunate to have something I’m so passionate about.

The most rewarding thing about it is seeing the progression I’ve made and knowing that I achieved something that I couldn’t before.

Want to climb? Just show up

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I don’t do other sports because I don’t think I actually have the energy to do so – I spend so much time climbing. However, there are other complementary activities including yoga and pilates which greatly help with flexibility, mobility and core strength. Callisthenics is also a complement to the sport as it builds strength.

My advice to women looking to get into climbing? Just take the first step! Look for a gym that is friendlier towards beginners, and don’t be afraid to approach people there for guidance. Climbers are generally a very friendly bunch, and we are all very happy to give pointers.

Women might be intimidated because it looks like a sport that requires a lot of strength, but it’s really a full-body exercise. You’d be amazed at just how much you can accomplish without being able to do a single pull-up.”

This article was first published in Her World Online.