Mark Cafero
/
Turks & Caicos
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Date of birth:
1996.01.02
Hometown:
Oslo, Norway
Sponsors:
The North Face store Oslo,
Hobbies:
Everything that is challenging
BIO
Thilo Schröter is from Germany, as his parents are German. However he has never lived there. He was born in the Netherlands before he moved to Sweden at the age of two. Thilo later moved to Norway at the age of ten, and found his passion for climbing in a local climbing gym in Oslo, the Norwegian capital. The climbing gym quickly became his home, and his temple!
In 2011 Thilo had a serious accident while trying out ice climbing in Rukjan, Norway. He fell 40 meters, bouncing off the slab underneath, before the rope caught him. He broke his elbow and crushed his upper arm. Many months recovery were needed before he could walk again, and eventually climb.
It took him about a year and a half to get back to the level he had prior to the fall. From then to now Thilo has evolved from being a psyched youngster, to being one of the best boulderers in Norway. Putting up local test pieces, and competing at an international level.
INTERVIEW
What are you looking for to accomplish?
My goal is to push my own limits, and ultimately the standards of bouldering if that’s what it comes to. What inspires me is doing the hardest and most awkward individual moves possible.
Challenging my endurance never got me hyped to the point of euphoria. Doing a move that is «new» gives me an insane rush.
What would be your greatest achievement?
Climbing boulders, and doing moves that no one would be able to repeat would be my greatest achievement. As well as winning world competitions.
What kind of difficulties does your sport’s performance involve?
One gets challenged both physically and mentally while bouldering. The first thing you have to do when approaching a boulder problem, is finding a solution that might work. Often times your «beta» (plan) is wrong, especially when the boulder is at your limit.
One then has to make small adjustments to perfect the beta so that it suits your style, strengths and body. Choosing a different foothold, or changing your point of balance is often enough to change the impossible to possible! Once you know how to do it you JUST HAVE TO DO IT! And that’s easier said than done…
What makes you feel satisfied when performing your sport?
Satisfaction is solving problems at your very limit, while being outside, with friends.
Where do you practice your techniques when being alone?
I train at a climbing gym to improve my strength and technique. Mostly by bouldering because I believe that one has to do the exact thing that one wants to become good at. But every now and then I do strength exercises with weights, slings, or simply my own bodyweight.
What do you do during your training which is key to your success?
I believe that having fun is the key to success. I feel stronger and extremely motivated when surrounding myself with the right people. To push oneself to the utter limit one has to want it, REALLY WANT IT! And who does not wanna have fun?
What are you most nervous about when competing?
When competing I tell myself that all I can do is to do my best. That’s really really simple, and obvious, but makes me calm down and focus 100 percent.
Normally one can hear the crowd screaming in excitement when a climber gets to the top of a boulder in a competition, so if I know that someone has done the boulder I tell myself that if he can do it – I can do it, in less tries.
If the crowd is less hyped it means that the climber has failed and gives me motivation to gain an advantage over him by climbing the boulder.
The mental game is a big part of boulder competitions. I would say that I fool myself to always be self confident, and look positive at the situation, in any situation.
Who would you say is your biggest fan and why?
My girlfriend, Tina Johnsen Hafsaas, who also is a professional rock climber.
She is supportive, and cares more than anyone else about my climbing.
We are each other’s biggest motivators and make the lifestyle we are living an easy choice!
What is the best piece of advice you have been ever given?
To not be a pussy, and pull hard. I tell myself that on a daily basis.
What are your future plans?
Road tripping the next years, as I just finished college, and bought a car. The world is mine!
What are your tips for those who begin now?
Train with the best to become the best. Show no respect to them, nor the wall. Nothing is impossible, even though you can’t do it…yet – go train!
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