As one of the first athletes to compete in sport climbing at the Olympic level during the sport’s debut at Tokyo 2020, Alannah Yip is used to overcoming challenges. Alannah uses her platforms not only to share her own journey, but to spotlight issues that are important to her- and advocate for change. One issue that’s particularly important to her is combatting the ‘lighter is better’ mentality that is pervasive in sport climbing. After being diagnosed with alopecia at the end of 2023, she made the decision to shave her head and enter the climbing gym bald, sharing her diagnosis and journey on Instagram. She and host Arianne Jones discuss this experience, the work being done to ensure that sport climbing is safe and inclusive for all, and much more.

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