Mickael Mawem - An HONEST talk about money in climbing

Mickael is a french boulderer and he is the bouldering world champ from Bern 2023. In this episode, we have an extremely honest conversation about how growing up poor motivated him to make money as a climber, why he stuck with climbing despite the lack of financial prospects, what his training looks like which includes warming up with 80 pull-ups, and of course, what happened during the Bern world champ finals. Shoutout to Madrock for hosting this interview at their headquarters!Guest links:Mickael’s InstagramReference links:Climbing with Jonathan Sin VideoThank you Mad Rock for sponsoring this episode! Use code 'notrealclimber' for 10% off your ENTIRE order, even if you're a returning customer! https://madrock.com/Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.comFollow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcastJoin the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zpJoin Patreon for a welcome gift, deleted scenes, and question priority: www.patreon.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcastTimestamps of discussion topicsTimestamps of discussion topics0:00 - Intro1:30 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!3:46 - Starting climbing with his brother Bassa7:45 - AUDIENCE Q: Being one of the few black climbers in the IFSC13:39 - Affording climbing when growing up poor24:31 - Pro climbing only pays enough for the present28:10 - Why he would not choose climbing in hindsight30:51 - Why he still chose climbing34:34 - AUDIENCE Q: Will you ever compete again in the IFSC? 38:33 - The goal: be rich45:25 - Bern World Champs finals boulders53:26 - Encountering no-tex for the first time ever1:01:59 - Mickael's crazy pull up training1:06:12 - How to work on your technique1:11:47 - The secret to French slab1:14:28 - Why he trains alone 1:21:59 - Keeping up with the evolution of climbing1:25:44 - His future in climbing?1:31:01 - New climbing goal1:33:38 - AUDIENCE Q: Who were your role models growing up?1:34:46 - AUDIENCE Q: What's your family like?1:39:28 - AUDIENCE Q: How to maintain strength without getting injured?1:44:50 - Where to find Mickael