This Olympic Speed ​​Climber and Indiana Resident Can Climb 3 Stories in 7 Seconds – Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana Traffic

(MIRROR INDY) — All future Olympian Piper Kelly needs to succeed is pasta, her lucky sports bra and a sturdy head of hair.

Well, that’s not all. But as the 24-year-old speed climber prepares to compete at the Paris Olympics in August 2024, she’s focused solely on the next climb that awaits her.

Kelly spent much of her climbing career in the Indianapolis area. First at Climb Time, then at Hoosier Heights Indianapolis. Occasionally in her backyard or basement in Irvington. Now she lives in Salt Lake City and is ready to compete with the best in the world.

This isn’t the first time she’s competed among champions. Kelly regularly competes in international championships, and it was her victory at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, that sent her to the Olympics.

Despite the location changes, the track remains a constant. Years of practice have allowed Kelly to climb just over 3 stories in under 7 seconds. One miscalculation and the entire run is a piece of cake, but a perfect move can earn her gold.

It’s a tough task, but that’s nothing new to Kelly. She’s learned that pushing boundaries is just part of life.

Here are some of her thoughts ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris:

About music: I love music. I listen to a lot of techno or EDM music. A song I listen to when I’m trying to get into the climbing mood is “Hall of Fame” by The Script, but lately it’s also been “Let it Go” by “Frozen”, funny enough.

About superstition: I try not to fix it too much. Especially when I travel to different countries. I like to eat pasta the night before a meeting. I have a good-luck sports bra. I have certain hairstyles that I like to do for certain things. I would say pasta, a good-luck sports bra, and my hairstyles are the big three.

To conclude: I go to yoga every now and then. I like to read or just curl up on the couch and watch Netflix. Right now I’m really into science fiction and fantasy, and I’m reading the Dune series. I know I’m late, but the movies have really made me want to read them.

On staying positive: I think a good support system is important. For me that’s my coach who lives here in Salt Lake City, my family back home in Indiana, and my boyfriend who still lives where we went to school in Cincinnati.

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About being brave: Moving to Utah six weeks before qualifying for the Olympics was a big step for me. It wasn’t a given that I would win those games. I left my social life, my family, and had to sign a one-year lease and commit to it.

I moved everything here, bought a car and settled down. If I hadn’t qualified, I would be here, far away from everyone I know, surrounded by my climbing friends who might have gone to the Olympics without me. I’m really glad it turned out this way.

About something she will do someday: Parachuting.

About heroes and role models: I really like Sha’Carri Richardson on the US track and field team. She’s an incredible athlete, and she’s confident, not arrogant. I would also have to mention my mom. She’s a great example of working hard and giving it your all, which I’ve definitely tried to do.

About climbing: More than half of my waking hours are spent climbing or thinking about climbing. Maybe 60% to 70%, but sometimes it seeps into my dreams. I think it’s closer to 80% or 90%.

On structuring life: Training is my first priority. I do work as a coach, but I plan it around my training, which is actually the opposite of how it normally works. It’s really a full-time job.

About coaches: My dad was my only coach and the reason I got into speed climbing. Speed ​​climbing is the smallest of the three disciplines (lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing), and my dad was my only coach until I moved away. Now I work with coach Albert Ok, who is not part of USA Climbing, but is a private coach for three of the four speed climbers who go to the Olympics.

On finding an identity: Whenever someone asked me to say three things about myself, “climber” was always one of them. I felt a bit lost during recovery (from shoulder surgery).

About becoming a little fish: Most of the time in Indiana, I was one of the strongest people in the gym. I was a big fish in a small pond. Here, on any given day in the gym, there are at least 10 people who are stronger than me. They are always pushing me, and that is what I needed to grow as a climber.