Natalia Grossman Climbs Her Way To The Top

On game day, Natalia Grossman tucks her hair into her favorite scrunchie and plasters a wide smile on her face. She’s embracing her tried-and-true life motto: smile and fight.

“Smiling reminds me of everything that I’ve done and where I’m at and allows me to stay present,” the 22-year-old Mexican American climber tells Bustle.

One of the few Latinas in a male-dominated sport, Grossman is set to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. But with a smile on her face and a determination to do the best she can, she’s not worried about overcoming the pressure. It’s easier said than done, but it’s a mindset that’s worked well for her so far: she has several world championships under her belt and 19 podium finishes at World Cup events — including nine golds.

Below, the Red Bull athlete and Team USA Olympian takes a brief break from her rigorous training (which includes 20 hours a week on the wall) to talk about her career aspirations, being a Latina in the climbing world, and how her beauty and wellness rituals pump her up before a big competition.

Did you ever think you'd be going to the Olympics?

No. Even this past week, I keep thinking back to myself — four years ago, I wouldn't even have thought I'd be in this position. Climbing is still pretty new to the Olympics; this is the second time it'll be in the [games], so it wasn't something I dreamed of growing up. I didn't think it would ever be in the Olympics.

I feel like you're a part of making history not only for women and Latinas, but also in the climbing world. How does that feel?

It's really exciting to just know that I'm testing out a new format. No one else has ever competed in this discipline, or this format, even though climbing has been in the Olympics once before. [I’m] excited to be one of the first to try it.

Can you walk me through your training? How do you prep for the Olympics?

I've been trying to train like I would for any other year. I don't want to make huge changes because when I do that, [it] creates unwanted pressure. I can overthink, and doubt creeps in. So, I’m just trying to improve and be the best that I can be. Obviously, I want to peak for the Olympics, so I'm trying to be in my best shape around that time.

Have you had to deal with any sexism being a woman in a male-dominated sport?

It's interesting because in the competitive world, I would say we're actually seen as equals and, oftentimes, there are almost as many women competing as men. [What I’ve seen are differences] at the gym around people who don’t really know about climbing. They’ll often underestimate young women and girls and think that we don't look all strong and we're probably not very good. My favorite is always when you hear gym bros talking and they're like, “Oh, those are all big holds. I bet we could do that.” In my head, I'm just thinking, “Yeah, just because they're big holds doesn't mean they're good. I’d love to see you on this.”

Can you tell me a little about your concept of using joy as a performance hack?

2021 was my first year doing the World Cup circuit. I remember [it was] my first lead final ever, and I could not stop smiling the entire route. Every time I smiled, I was just thinking of how I was living my dream and how I had always wanted this and the placement [in the competition] didn't matter. I was just enjoying what I was doing. After that I started smiling a lot more.

Obviously I'm going to smile naturally, but [I use it as] a cue to be like, “OK, let's take a step back and remember where I am. I'm getting to travel, I'm with my teammates, I'm doing the sport I love at the highest level, I'm doing what I always dreamed of as a kid, let's just enjoy it and not focus so much on the outcome.” I use it to focus on the present moment.

How do you cope with failure?

Failure can be really hard. I think having a strong support system like family, friends, coaches, sports psychs, just having people who I can fall back on and who can be there [for me]. It [helps to remember] it was one competition. It doesn't define who you are, it doesn't mean you're a bad climber. You have another one in a week — let's stay positive and see what happens. Sometimes failure can also allow me to take a step back and just assess and be like, OK, do I need to make changes in training or do I need to train less? Maybe that was a big thing. Last year it was over-training.

Is it hard as a competitive athlete to do less?

I feel like in climbing I'm used to doing more. Especially when I see my competitors doing a lot of volume, it makes me think that's what I should be doing. Having a roommate who is very aware about the importance of rest has been really helpful. Sometimes you can push through [the tiredness], but sometimes [you need to] go watch Netflix on the couch, have some popcorn and chill. Finding people who I can do that with and being around people who have a healthy relationship with rest has been very helpful.

How do you take care of your mental health when dealing with the pressures of competing?

I want to have a good mindset. So thinking positively, but being able to talk to my mom. I tell her everything and it's really nice to have her support when it comes to that. And also working with my sports psych, just texting or calling or sometimes he's at our competitions, and having friends who I can turn to and coaches and staff on our team.

What does it mean to represent Latinas in the climbing world?

It's really exciting because I don't think there is a ton of diversity when you look at high-level climbers in the U.S. I hope that I can inspire other people, and especially young women and biracial people in general, to start climbing. Even if no one looks like you, that shouldn't be a reason not to do it.

How do you hope your career will help inspire others to follow their dreams?

I hope that people can see the joy that I'm having, doing what I love doing, and just to inspire people to pursue what brings them that same joy.

Climbing can be really rough on your hands. How do you protect them? Do you have any balms or lotions that you swear by?

There's a climbing lotion called Rhino Skin Repair. I often use that if my skin is thin. They also have other products that can hydrate your skin, so that's typically who I go to. And I never put lotion on my hands. I put lotion on my body twice a day, but I always wear gloves. [Lotions] can make your skin soft and I don't want soft skin. It ruins the callous.

How does your beauty routine empower you before you compete?

I love doing my hair. Nothing fancy, but adding a scrunchie or a bow or things like that makes me realize it's comp day. I used to have a scrunchie that I would wear almost every World Cup, and it just would signify, “OK, it's comp day, let's tighten that scrunchie, let's do this.” I'd say that's the biggest marker for me when it comes to getting ready is doing my hair. And sometimes I'll put on hoops just because they make me feel good.

What's going through your head while you're putting your hair up before a competition?

When I'm getting ready, I'm typically just trying to get in a bubbly mood, so I'll play music and be looking in the mirror, singing, brushing my hair. I sometimes have to redo it a couple times. My hair can be weird.

Do you have a scrunchie for the Olympics or a bow?

I do not have one yet. I go through phases, so we'll see. It was this red velvet scrunchie for a long, long time. Even though I had so many, I still always picked that one. But it no longer speaks to me. It's had its time. For the competition where I qualified for the Olympics, I brought back my first bow from 2021.

Do you have any pre-climbing skin care rituals the night before a competition?

I always kind of do the same skin care. I live in Salt Lake City, which is pretty dry, so I’m trying to keep my skin in a good place and not dry out.

What are some of your favorite skin care products?

Olay has a morning vitamin C lotion that smells pretty good, like oranges. And then they have a nightly lotion and then a serum. So I've been testing all that out the past week or two. I have used Lubriderm body lotion for too many years to count!

What does self-care mean to you?

Self-care means listening to my body physically and mentally. It means allowing myself to rest or adjust my training when I’m too tired, talking to my sports psychologist, and treating myself to sports massages!

What does "game face" mean to you?

Game face means going out there with a smile on my face and having the confidence to know that I can achieve whatever I visualize.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.