By Victor Baudrand – Contributor

Since I was eight years old, rock climbing, training and climbing competitions have been a major part of my life. Climbing has shaped who I am, my identity, who I choose to interact with and how I express myself. In 2021, I made it onto the Canadian national team for the first time. That year, my climbing career reached new heights as I competed alongside some of the world’s best climbers and performed unexpectedly well. Little did I know that this would open up a world of opportunities for me. Out of these opportunities, I had the chance to test my resilience, motivation and abilities as a Canadian climber and a full-time Bishop’s student. I set my eyes on maximizing my chances of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

In October 2023, for the first time in history, sport climbing made its debut at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. I was fortunate enough to compete with the Canadian team and travel to Santiago to compete alongside the best athletes in the Americas. The pressure was high because only the top-ranked athelete would receive a ticket to the 2024 Olympics to represent their country.

It was the first time I had taken a ten-hour red eye flight. After popping a good dose of melatonin, I slept the entire flight from Toronto to Santiago and felt well rested when I landed. The airport was full of local representatives who were responsible for coordinating the Canadian team’s transportation to the Pan Am athlete’s village. There, all the countries had separate apartment complexes with the flags of their respective nations proudly displayed outside. The village made for a multicultural experience, where no matter the uniform you were wearing, people exchanged smiles, and you could truly feel the excitement and competitive spirit come to life.  

Outside of the competition arena, the dining hall was a hub, with athletes from different countries gathering to not only refuel but also trade pins from their home countries. The competition venue was one of the best I have ever gotten to climb on! On the day of the finals, the spotlights illuminated the walls, creating a vibrant and electrifying atmosphere. The crowd was unexpectedly loud, which helped calm down my nerves and motivated me.  

The finals kicked off with the bouldering event. I was unable to find my flow and fell off the last move of many climbs. I was both physically and emotionally crushed after the bouldering event since I was not ranking where I wanted to be. As I was preparing for my last event of the finals, Sean McColl, a fellow Canadian competitor, my climbing youth inspiration and now a friend, dislocated his rib attempting the last climb. I saw him with tears in his eyes, and at that moment, I also felt his pain. Though I wanted to surpass him, I felt so sad that his injury might jeopardize his chance of securing his Olympic ticket. At the same time, Sean was leading the Canadian team with an amazing performance in the bouldering event. With a nearly useless ice pack taped to his dislocated rib, Sean nonetheless decided to participate in the last event. Despite this setback, his determination to continue competing inspired me to push through my fatigue and give it my all in the final event. The Pan American Games tested me, and it was one of the most physically and emotionally demanding competitions I have ever experienced. I finished the competition in sixth place behind my younger brother Oscar Baudrand and Sean in fourth, who had scored the highest out of all the Canadian competitors.  

If I had one word to describe the Pan American Games, it would be “grounding” – grounding because spending a week living, eating, playing board games, studying for midterm exams and training with the top Canadian athletes from different sports made me realize that climbing is a “real” sport, and I am a “real” Canadian athlete. It was a great chance for me to learn and draw inspiration from my peers, which motivated me to aim even higher in my climbing career. Competitions themselves are always a highlight, but meeting new people, being exposed to new cultures, creating stories and learning about yourself through these experiences is equally rewarding.