Teenager who aims high – and climbs higher

The 13-year-old, who lives in south Glasgow, started climbing aged three and has been on an upward trajectory ever since. She explains: “My mum and I tried it out for the first time at Glasgow’s Climbing Academy. We went twice a week. Back then there wasn’t much in the way of kids climbing classes, so I just climbed with adults on the high boulder walls. A kids’ club started up and I learnt a lot of techniques from my first coach. I didn't really know anything about competitions even though I liked winning.”
She entered her first schools climbing competition in Crieff, Perthshire, at the age of seven – which she won. Following that, she entered the Scottish lead and Scottish boulder championships, finishing in first in Scotland for her age group. “I loved winning as I'm extremely competitive, so it made me start to train hard too”, she says. “I love climbing now as much as when I tried it for the first time ten years ago as no two routes are ever set the same.”
By the time she turned 11, she was a British Boulder and Climbing champion, Scottish youth champion, and a member of the GB National Development Squad.
She says the past few months have been “really exciting” after she claimed silver in the Junior British Boulder Championships (JBBC's) and reached the second highest height in the Junior British Lead Climbing Championships (JBLCCs). She’s also won the Inverness series, the TCA Glasgow series and the Lakeland series (North England).
The only restriction her age has on her career right now is that the International Federation Sports Climbing (IFSC) doesn't allow under-14s to compete internationally, meaning she therefore competed in several open boulder championships, representing Great Britain. She says: “My first was in 2022 in Graz where I was placed fifth, the second being a competition in Braincon, France, where I was ninth out of 80 European climbers. I was really disappointed with this result as I ran out of time and missed out on three easy boulders which had I completed, would have put me in the top five.”
She’s full of gratitude for her closest supporters and coach. “I call my parents my bank and my taxi service as they dedicate a lot of time to me,” she says. “I think any sport at national and international level is very expensive.
"My coach, Neil Mawson, is based in Preston in Boulder UK and is an ex-GB climber and coach himself. He owns the Boulder UK wall and dedicates a lot of his time to me. He comes to all my major competitions and is always very supportive. It’s important to have an experienced dedicated coach so that I can reach my goal of competing for team GB internally when I turn 14.
“I used to train as part of a weekly Glasgow squad, but now I like to train alone with my mum there as a sort of support coach. She speaks to my main coach before and after every session so to keep me on track.
"Unfortunately, my mum is going through cancer treatment at the moment, but my dad is helping lots.”
With no break in the climbing season as such, Becca competes every two to three weeks. “It’s pretty full-on. I try to rest for one or two days prior to a competition as this allows for my skin to be in good condition and for me to be well rested.
“I do get tired but my parents ensure I get plenty sleep and I have a high-protein diet,” she adds.
“I normally do some of my homework on the way to my weekly Edinburgh training session and ensure I plan ahead with any school homework projects. The long car journeys make for good revision time.
"I do miss out on lots of social time with my friends, but my good friends support my climbing so don't get annoyed when I say I have to climb.”
As to what she hopes to achieve in the immediate future, she says: “I'm aiming to be on the podium in all the climbing nationals next year.
"This year I podiumed in all but one of those I entered. I now have a few months of hard training ahead of me, together with some Chanukah relaxation, before heading out to Delft in the Netherlands for the Open Youth International in March. My motto is: ‘Aim high, climb higher.’”