Climbing is by far not my first sport of obsession – or maybe it was?
I grew up in the shadow of an active elder brother, who was always finding a new sporting challenge. I didn’t pay much attention till I was seven or eight, at which point I picked up swimming as he was training to swim the channel in a relay. A broken finger led him to leave swimming for his newer love, cycling, and some may know how that turned out. Cycling was something I spent many hours of my youth obsessing over. For five years I worked in a bike shop and whilst it is a sport that I love, I rarely cycle these days. Nowadays I am more likely to go for a quick run than a bike ride, lacing up my shoes and heading out the door. Sport is good for our health both physically and mentally, but for a long time I struggled to find a sport I loved and felt most at home within
But before it all, my dad used to take us climbing at the Castle in North London. I was too young to really remember much, but it was a weekly event with paninis, blueberry muffins and starburst hidden in jugs. However, due to a few fun obstacles we stopped visiting the Castle and I wouldn’t go climbing for over fifteen years. Starting climbing again at nineteen has been one of the most important changes in my recent life. There are so many features of this sport that bring positivity into my life, from the physical training to the mental challenge. Climbing is my favourite way to unwind from a complicated day and the best trip to look forward to. There are so many skills I learn and practise every climbing session that can be applied to life away from the climbing wall.
Managing my mental health has always been a struggle. I live life the best I can but some days we have to be kind and let ourselves rest. My approach to my mental health has grown hugely over the past years, with regular therapy sessions, hard conversations and accepting my neurodiversities. I think that the process and space that climbing has given me has really kept me in a better place. The past year has been one of the most difficult to date, but I don’t think I would have got to where I am without my regular sessions at the wall or down a crag. This drive for climbing and growth of positive mental health has led me to partner up with Robin to start the Circular Climbing Collective.
My passion for the Circular Climbing Collective is to create a space, with the support of The New Normal (TNN), to benefit all climbers and non-climbers in a positive way. By utilising the enjoyment of the challenges and creativity in climbing, we believe we can create a space for sharing and supporting mental health. We aim to take the model created by TNN, that suggests that there is always someone out there that can relate to your struggles, ‘If there’s one, there’s two’. I am extremely excited to create this space along with Robin, someone who has always given me a great sense of trust and openness from the first minute I met him – at a climbing wall of course! I look forward to the spaces we can create as a collective and how they may impact each of our lives.
Quick Fire Get To Know
| Name | Bede Geoghegan Hart |
| Age | 22 |
| Birth Town | Hackney, London |
| Favourite Crag | Siurana, Catalunya |
| Best Technique | Heel Hooks |
| Send Song | Tondoho Mba by Eko Roosevelt Louis |
| One Source of Inspiration | Boru Mccullagh |
| Top Non-Climbing Hobby | Breaking and mending things |
Follow Bede on Instagram:
Circular Climbing Collective 
Leave a comment