EP 198: Travis Tameirao — The Day His Life Changed Forever, Climbing V10+ With an Artificial Knee, and Taking the Wheel

Travis Tameirao is a 33-year-old from Rhode Island. On August 13, 2018, his life changed in a freak accident in the climbing gym. Three years and a dozen surgeries later, Travis miraculously returned to climbing and sent his first V10 and V11. We talked about his accident, getting a full knee replacement, how he made a full recovery, his incredible wife Katie, why he swims four times per week, treating yourself like you have the V17 gene, taking responsibility for your life, the interplay of luck and hard work, and much more.

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We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:

• Michael Roy, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Zach Emery, Alex Pluta, and Matt Walter

Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/travis-tameirao

Nuggets:

0:00:00 – Intro/Ads

0:07:14 – Having a son at 19, semi-pro boxing and bartending to make ends meet, and getting into climbing

0:13:31 – Maintaining his own identity once he became a dad

0:15:40 – Getting obsessed with climbing, and being reckless out of ignorance

0:24:51 – The full story of Travis’ accident on August 13th, 2018

0:35:20 – Getting his knee reconstructed in December 2019, and losing his Tibial Plateau

0:38:31 – The possibility of amputation, and choosing an experimental procedure

0:44:18 – Living in constant pain, surgery as a trauma, and holding onto hope

0:47:21 – Having a full knee replacement, and feeling like he was given a death sentence

0:49:52 – The limitations of Western medicine

0:51:55 – Waking up without pain

0:53:56 – The gift of walking, and reclaiming his life

0:56:55 – Working on regaining his range of motion, and reconnecting with climbing

1:05:05 – Getting hurt again sport climbing in Rumney

1:09:39 – Losing friends and community during his recovery, and proposing to his wife Katie

1:17:40 – The first time he asked Katie out

1:20:57 – Gratitude for Katie, and being with a partner through the hard times

1:23:41 – Hiking around Mont Blanc on their honeymoon

1:26:39 – Focusing on work while he was recovering, and appreciation for the support

1:27:40 – Regaining his full range of motion, and climbing his first V10 outside

1:31:42 – Mr. Miyagi and the pistol squat

1:33:04 – Climbing his first V11, leaving areas better than you found them, and finding boulders in Rhode Island

1:36:22 – “Don’t get injured”, learning how to fall, and being unsure of the takeaway

1:38:33 – The guy in the wheelchair, and wondering if he is blowing his second chance

1:43:01 – Choosing to live a rich and passionate life, the fountain of youth, and facing mortality

1:48:10 – A backlog of games and books, and wanting to live forever

1:54:19 – Accepting support from Katie, hard conversations, and the transition in their relationship after his recovery

2:03:08 – Mothers and empty nests, Travis’ parents relationship, and the feeling of firsts

2:07:45 – What climbing means to Travis now, and why Travis swims 4 days per week

2:10:46 – Long-term climbing goals, and sponsoring himself

2:14:43 – Growing up a block away from his wife, and all of the things climbing has brought him

2:17:24 – Treating yourself like you have the V17 gene

2:19:15 – How Travis made a full recovery when many others didn’t, drawing inspiration from anime, and being the main character in your own story

2:26:43 – Taking the wheel, and advocating for yourself

2:32:14 – Sharing his story, and being a resource

2:36:46 – Kind words about the podcast

2:39:58 – Luck and hard work

2:42:26 – More kind words

2:45:32 – Iontophoresis

2:47:01 – Wrap up and Travis’ phone number