The Rivalry, The Rock, The Revolution

From rugged mountain cliffs to neon-lit climbing gyms, the story of rock climbing is a wild ascent through rebellion, rivalry, and resilience. In this episode of Sportly, Kavitha Davidson takes us on a gripping journey from Yosemite’s dirtbag era to the Tokyo Olympics, spotlighting Slovenian phenom Janja Garnbret—the world’s first female Olympic climbing champion. This episode dives into the roots of bouldering, the ethics wars between purists and pragmatists, and how this once niche underground movement became a billion-dollar industry and global sensation. Whether you're a gym rat or just vibing with climbing TikTok, this is a story of movement, mindset, and the magnetic pull of the wall. Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Saadia Khan I Associate Producer: Andreea Coscai I Content Writers: Emmanuelle Monahan I Fact Checking and Research: Suhasini Patni I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at http://immigrantlypod.com. Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us! Remember to subscribe to our Apple podcast channel for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content. You can reach the host, Kavitha, at [e-mail] Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly IG @immigrantlypods Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices