Alex Honnold: Fear
Simon talks about overcoming fear with free solo climbing legend Alex Honnold
There’s nothing to fear but fear itself. So said American president Franklin D. Roosevelt, and turns out he had a point. This week, Simon sits down with climbing legend Alex Honnold, the man who climbed a 3000 foot vertical cliff without ropes, to discuss fear and how to overcome it. Alex is a free solo climber, which means he does it without equipment, and his conquering of the awe inspiring El Capitan in America has been described as ‘one of the greatest Athletic feats of any kind, ever’. It was so impressive, they made a film about it called Free Solo. In this episode, Alex talks about his legendary climb, how his childhood affected his choice of career, the importance of preparation and visualisation, how incremental practice can be used to overcome just about any fear, how he used exactly that method to overcome social anxiety and a fear of public speaking, how people are led to believe life is far more dangerous than it actually is, how anxiety and excitement are linked, how drinking alcohol on nights out is cheating, and how to set goals to improve things like your social skills. As ever your thoughts and questions are most welcome: @simonmundie #DTMTS