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Indoor Weekly: Aussie Champ Tiffany Melius on Canada Nationals

National coach Andrew Wilson and Tiffany Melius Photo Shane Murdoch

Tiffany Melius was the 2016 Australian Women’s Bouldering Champion who currently lives in B.C.

She is the founder and principal coach at Force of Nature Coaching and works in not-for-profit management at the United Way of the Lower Mainland.

She was a director on the inaugural board of Sport Climbing BC from 2013 to 2015 and is currently Vice Chair on the Board of FEAT Canada Adventure Talks.

Owner of Ground Up climbing gym in in Squamish Lauren Watson said, “Tiffany’s warm and accepting demeanor allows for groups to really open up and have authentic experiences together.

“Her workshops are introspective and collective at the same time, creating strong bonds and powerful experiences for participants. You leave with more questions but also more patience to understand yourself and the experience of others. I would recommend her to sports teams, businesses, start ups and any conference.”

Melius said that Canada was meant to be just a stop on the World Cup tour, but she stuck around.

About the competition scene in Canada versus Australia, she said in an interview here, “I think the standard of climbers in Canada is a bit higher, mostly due to our proximity to the States.

“I think it’s really easy in Australia to get stuck inside our island bubble (in many things, not just in climbing), and not realize how we as a country relate to things outside of ourselves.

“When I am just a few hours’ drive from Seattle and competitions with names such as Alex Puccio and Ashima Shirashi, it’s easy to see where I sit in the big scheme of things. It’s inspiring to be constantly humbled by a stream of incredibly talented climbers, both from right across Canada and across the border.”

What are you looking forward to at nationals? My long-term goal of qualifying for the Olympics has meant that I am focussing on training, not competing right now so I have only done one (Olympic format) comp this season.

Since I love competing, I have missed it and so I am psyched to be just in the space I love this weekend. It’s always good to see people from across the country as well, and I am looking forward to seeing my training of the past few months come together.

[Follow Up the Bloc on Instagram below for daily stories about Nationals]

What’s the best part? The moment in the on deck chair moments before you go out to the first problem. The tension and excitement and anticipation.

Also the feeling of topping a challenging boulder or completing a difficult move – but they are not guaranteed.

What are your goals for the comp? I have competed in three Canadian National Bouldering Championships: 2013 at Rock Jungle Fitness in Edmonton where I came eighth.

In 2016 at The Hive North Shore in North Vancouver I actually placed seventh, but as I was the first person outside of Finals and I am a foreign national, I was skipped over to add another Canadian to Finals so I was bumped down to eighth (without getting to compete in Finals).

In 2017 at Rock Jungle Boulders in Edmonton I finished eight. At least I’m consistent right?

So my first goal is to do better than eighth. My second goal is to make Finals. My third goal is to make top five. In such a strong field I could be happy with any of those.

I remember thinking last year that all of the ladies in semis had a good chance of making Finals – it’s so great to have a field that competitive.

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