Corey Buhay is the go-to reporter for all things drytooling. Tune in this week to learn about the assignment that changed everything.
🧊 About the episode
Corey Buhay has made a life out of doing what she loves. That’s not to say it’s been easy.
Known as the go-to reporter for all things drytooling ⛏️, Corey quickly built a career as a freelance journalist regularly contributing to Climbing 🧗♀️, Backpacker 🥾, Smithsonian 🗿, and the like. Around the time she started writing full-time, she also started drytooling. Again, she quickly established herself, rising to the top of the rankings for comp ice climbing in North America. But, shortly thereafter, she decided to walk away. How come?
In today’s chat we talk about:
- 🧊 The assignment that changed everything
- 🧊 Going all in on things that give you happiness
- 🧊 Struggles with expectations, perfectionism and anxiety
- 🧊 Revitalizing Team USA and competitive pressures
- 🧊 Burnout and taking a break
- 🧊 Rediscovering balance and joy in climbing
I want to say that I really appreciated Corey’s openness and willingness to discuss difficult topics and her ability to infuse humor into the conversation. Further, if you’re struggling with mental health, know that you’re not alone and that there are folks and resources who can help, some of which we share in the show notes.
I consider myself lucky to have hit rock bottom really early in life. Because when you're 19, you still have a lot of time for course correction. Whereas I know friends who are 37, 38, and are now just like, wait, I don't have to be perfect all the time. Wait, my worth isn't dependent on my job performance?
🧊 Resources and links
If you’d like to follow Corey’s latest writings, her website is coreybuhay.com.
Some of my personal favorite articles of hers are:
- Russia’s World Cup Ice Climbing Scene is as Hardcore as it Gets
- The Strange Underworld of Competition Ice Climbing
- Years After My Mentor Died in the Backcountry, I Retraced His Final Footsteps
Mental health resources:
- Mental Health in Athletes: Breaking the Stigma
- Resources for Athletes with Eating Disorders
- Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression Foundation (who offer a free therapy option)
- Managing Stress in Sports: Quieting the Mind and the Body
🧊 Credits
📸: Cover photo by Mike Thurk (@mthurk)
Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!). This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.
🧊 Sponsors:
A huge thanks to Aniiu Gloves and Furnace Industries for supporting this show!
Aniiu Gloves: What do you get when you combine 30 years of ice climbing and product design chops? Well, if you’re into gloves you get Aniiu — a boutique climbing brand on a mission to produce the best ice climbing and drytooling gloves around. Doug, Jun, and the rest of the team spare no expense in the pursuit of durable, dextrous and waterproof. Best yet, they are made from recycled textiles — which saves waste from the landfill — and they are robustly built so they won’t end up there anytime soon. To learn more about your friend in the cold, head to aniiu.com. That is aniiu.com.
Furnace Industries: We get it, ice season never really ends… it just kinda blends between rock, plastic, and plywood until waterfalls freeze over again. No matter how you train in the off-season Furnace Industries keeps you going ‘til your next bout of screaming barfies. With their gym-safe DRY ICE Evolutions you can keep up your fitness indoors. And if you’re looking to challenge yourself on your homewall, they have the largest stock of drytooling holds in America. Check out their full lineup of ice and drytooling gear at furnace-Industries.com… where It’s Always Ice Season.
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