Sierra Blair-Coyle - Exclusive Out Dare Adventures Interview
Well guys, it is official. My new favorite sport is rock climbing. In the past couple weeks Out Dare Adventures has been privileged enough to interview two of the fastest rising stars in the rock-climbing community, Tori Allen and Sierra Blair-Coyle. ODA got a chance to talk to Sierra, recent winner of the Thrash and Dangle Fest 2013 and two-time defending Knuckledragger’s Ball champion.
Sierra is what we in the industry like to call: “awesome”. A full-time student at Arizona State University, Sierra maintains an incredibly busy schedule of appearances, interviews, events, competitions and modeling. Oh, did I forget to mention she is a model? Yeah, Sierra has that covered too. But guys, do not let her good looks fool you, she is absolutely nasty at climbing and we here at Out Dare are as excited as we are grateful that Sierra has decided to team up with us.
As always, the QuickAnswer portion of the interview asks Sierra to name the first thing that comes into her head when she hears the QuickAnswer question. Similar to on a game show, the QuickAnswer section is a fun way to get to know Sierra on a slightly more personal and spontaneous level.
So readers, please do yourselves a huge favor and check out Out Dare Adventures’ first sponsored athlete, rock-climbing goddess Sierra Blair-Coyle. You can find all of her social media platforms on the ODA website or you can check out Sierra’s website. A huge thank you has to go out to Sierra and her entire team for affording us the opportunity to work with such an incredibly talented and humble athlete. Enjoy folks:
Out Dare Adventures (“ODA”): Sierra, congrats on placing first at Thrash and Dangle Fest 2013! How do you think these experiences and accomplishments are helping you progress as a climber?
Sierra Blair-Coyle (“Sierra”): Thank you! Every competition is a new experience in itself. The more I compete, the more natural it is and the better I become.
ODA: How have you been able to keep a healthy balance between being Sierra, the full time college student, and Sierra Blair-Coyle, the rising female star in competitive rock climbing?
Sierra: It’s been challenging to focus on school and climbing, but I am definitely proud of myself for doing both. I have gotten really good at time management and I try to give everything 110%.
ODA QuickAnswer: Boyfriend?
Sierra: Nope!
ODA: We recently interviewed fellow child prodigy climber Tori Allen, who you have previously called your idol. How did Tori influence your drive and desire to become a world-class rock climber?
Sierra: When I first began climbing, Tori was head and shoulders above everyone else in talent. She also kept a very positive attitude, which is what I most admire. I wanted to become a great athlete and role model like Tori.
ODA: Tell us a little bit about your college experience at Arizona State. What are you planning to study? Are you planning to study abroad?
Sierra: I started ASU as a major in accountancy and I recently made the switch to Marketing (Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications), which I’m way excited about. I don’t have any plans to travel abroad as of right now, but you never know what the future holds!
ODA QuickAnswer: Dream Vacation?
Sierra: Dubai! I have wanted to go there for so long.
ODA: What kind of dietary habits allow you to stay in such good shape?
Sierra: I have a lot of food allergies, gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, and almonds, so that cuts out a lot of the bad stuff. Other than that, I’ve always been a healthy eater. I eat a lot of meat, fruits, and vegetables.
ODA: You have said in the past that you picked up climbing as an 8-year-old girl at an outdoor mall. Two questions – 1) Do you remember what you were shopping for? 2) What was it about climbing that you fell in love with?
Sierra: I actually don’t think we were shopping for anything; I was walking around with my mom and sister in the summer for fun. I fell in love with how natural climbing felt for me. There was something about climbing that felt right.
ODA: If you could climb anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Sierra: Mallorca in Spain. It looks beautiful!
ODA QuickAnswer: Dream Date?
Sierra: Being whisked away somewhere on a private jet!
ODA: Be honest, when you watch Mission Impossible (any of them, they all apply) and you see Tom Cruise climbing what seems to be the biggest cliff in the Grand Canyon, do you just immediately start critiquing his technique or racing him in your mind?
Sierra: I have to make a confession…I’ve never seen Mission Impossible! But whenever I see people climbing in movies, or doing anything climbing related, I always think about the difficulty of the climb or if the scene is realistic.
ODA: Do you have any sort of ritual or superstitions before a big climb or event?
Sierra: I always have my dad pin on my bib number at competitions. If I’m competing in the afternoon I always take a “pre-comp nap” and eat a bison burger and peas before I compete.
ODA QuickAnswer: Favorite Book?
Sierra: “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde.
ODA: Has there ever been a point when climbing that you have genuinely thought you were in trouble?
Sierra: When I was deep water soloing in Maui there were 8-foot waves hitting the rocks. Luckily, there was a crew of swimmers in the water that were helping me get to the wall and if I fell. I was definitely pretty sketched out but I tried to play it tough!
ODA: Outside of climbing, who is the biggest influence in your life?
Sierra: Definitely my mom. We have always been a lot alike and as I get older I have realized how important my mom is to my life.
ODA: Are you a “belieber”?
Sierra: 100%.
(Author’s Note: Samesies.)
ODA QuickAnswer: Bouldering?
Sierra: The best part of climbing!
ODA: Hypothetically speaking, if you could switch to a different professional sport, what would it be?
Sierra: I would switch to weightlifting. That might seem kind of weird, but I love working out and it looks like fun!
ODA: You have previously mentioned in interviews that you love to bake. What is your go-to cake?
Sierra: Double chocolate cake! I am a chocolate fiend so it satisfies my sweet tooth.
ODA: When you were out at the Asian X-Games, did you try any unusual cuisine?
Sierra: I was actually super jet lagged during my trip to Malaysia, so I was sticking to pretty basic foods that felt good in my stomach. I didn’t get to try anything unusual, but we ate amazing Indian food every night.
ODA QuickAnswer: Favorite Quote?
Sierra: “Train hard, Win easy”
ODA: Outside TV recently interviewed you. Describe that experience?
Sierra: It was a lot of fun. The hosts were super friendly, so it was very easy to speak with them. Plus the location they were shooting at was stunning.
ODA: What can the Out Dare viewers expect to see out of Sierra Blair-Coyle in the next couple of years?
Sierra: In the next couple of years I am going to continue competing, traveling, and chasing my dream. I would like climbing to become a more mainstream sport and pursue every opportunity that comes my way.
ODA QuickAnswer: Guilty Pleasure?
Sierra: Chocolate. I could live off of it.