TBP 073 :: Margarita Martinez on Climbing Her First 13d at Age 58

About Margarita Martinez

My first experience of Margarita Martinez was at the Red River Gorge, watching her dance her way up Bohica 5.13b. She ended up falling on it, but I remember her laughing as she fell, and then talking to her later she was as chipper as could be. In this interview, that positive outlook on life and climbing is very apparent.

Margarita is originally from Puerto Rico, but moved her in her late teens to be a ballerina, which she did for over a decade. She had to quit dancing because she could no longer travel and raise 3 children. She wanted something to fill the dancing void in her life, and at the age of 34 she found climbing. Since then, she's suffered several heartbreaking injuries and surgeries (broken back, broken ankle, and most recently a serious shoulder issue), but she's persevered and steadily climbed through the grades.

Last year, at the age of 58, she sent her first 5.13d in Maple Canyon and has not slowed down since. That was after she was told by a surgeon that she needed to have a shoulder replacement and quit climbing forever. Our good friend, Esther Smith (the PT who's been on the show a couple times) helped her fix her shoulder, and she's now climbing and training harder than ever.

Margarita Martinez Interview Details

In this interview, Margarita talks about her evolution as a climber, how she trains, and how she does things differently now that she's a little bit older.

What We Talked About

• Training for first 13d at age 58
• How she deals with having rheumatoid arthritis
• How she approaches climbing and training at age 58
• What the MaxiPull is and how it helps her endurance
• Why she weight lifts and what she does
• Her training/climbing schedule

Margarita Martinez Links

• Margarita's article "15 Truths About Being A Climber"
• How to Make A Maxi Pull - from Margarita's Facebook page
• Esther Smith's article on how to Hang Just Right (which Margarita uses)
• Margarita's shoe insert company (for stinky climbing shoes): www.DryPointe.com