Four months after an emergency C-section, I set off on my first climbing trip as a mum, to Albarracín in Spain. It was my first time packing a pram, nappies, a carrier and a baby alongside crash pads and climbing shoes. 

Climbing life is different now: nappy changes between attempts, breastfeeding through the night, naps to organize and a whole new set of challenges to navigate. In some ways, I’m the same climber I’ve always been; psyched to challenge myself, have fun and share experiences. But in other ways, I’m navigating an entirely new body, identity and lifestyle. 

Climbing life is different now: nappy changes between attempts, breastfeeding through the night, naps to organize and a whole new set of challenges to navigate. In some ways, I’m the same climber I’ve always been; psyched to challenge myself, have fun and share experiences. But in other ways, I’m navigating an entirely new body, identity and lifestyle. 

Arriving on the trip barely able to do a sit-up or a pull-up, I was unsure what to expect from my body. But over three weeks, I went from barely being able to push through my feet to climbing a tenuous, body-tension-dependent V9. 

New Normal is a story about returning to climbing after childbirth, adapting to a changing body and figuring out how motherhood fits alongside a passion for pushing myself in climbing. 

It's not about “getting back” to where you were, but discovering what climbing and life look like now that everything has changed.