I  first saw climbing on TV when I was three years old 

I was sat on my father’s knee and instantly said, “Dad, I want to do that!” A year later, we found a local climbing wall and I asked my dad to learn to belay, which means to hold the other end of the rope. That’s how it all started.

My dad is my biggest mentor 

He started climbing a few years after me and he’s still very much involved in the sport. We chat about climbing a lot, but he’s the person I call whenever there’s anything going on in my life.

I was naive about obstacles female climbers face 

Women can experience lots of barriers in the sport, from the challenges of climbing on their period to getting stronger than their boyfriend or not fitting into dresses because their muscles are so big. I was naive about this. I grew up climbing around guys, so I never thought of myself as a female climber. But when I coached a women’s climbing class, they were all talking about these barriers. I started the Women’s Climbing Symposium 10 years ago to create a platform where we could talk about our issues and overcome them. It’s since grown into a huge celebration of the sport. Our first event had 60 attendees; our biggest has had 500.

There are a lot of weight issues within the sport 

Climbing is a power-to-weight sport [where your strength to body weight ratio helps determine optimal body composition]. I’m quite heavy for a professional athlete and feel really healthy. When I was younger, I looked up to the elite women in our sport and wanted to be thinner, and it’s taken me time to learn who I am and what I want to be. Plus, I have older sisters who don’t let me get away with anything.

I don’t have any superstitions around climbing 

I think if you are superstitious, you set yourself up for things going wrong. I do always put my left shoe on first though – but that’s just because it feels more comfortable.

If you feel good in what you’re wearing, it impacts how you go about your day 

Most mornings, I put on my sports bra and leggings and that’s pretty much what I wear for the day, every single day. I feel comfortable and I feel strong. It makes a difference to my attitude towards the session.

Getting dressed up to go out does’t happen very often  

But when I do it, I absolutely love it. Most times when I get dressed up, Leah Crane – my coach, best friend, stylist and all-encompassing life person – usually figures out what I should wear. I’m really bad at choosing what to wear.

I’m not big into celebrating 

If I’ve done a World Cup and I’ve got another competition in two weeks, then it’s straight back to the gym the next day.

My favourite place to escape is Rocklands in South Africa 

I’m happiest out in the middle of the desert, climbing rocks. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Rocky Mountains and Västervik, just off the coast of Sweden. Both are so beautiful. We also have the Peak District on our doorstep and I feel so fortunate to have such a beautiful, peaceful place 10 minutes away.

Photographer: Chris Floyd

Fashion and interview: Helen Atkin

Words: Colin Crummy

Art director: Claire Cheung

Hair and make-up: Nandi Kai at S Management using Kevin Murphy and Nars

Photography assistant: Berit von Enoch

Location: The Climbing Works, Sheffield; climbingworks.com

For more information on climbing, visit the Women’s Climbing Symposium.