Ambassador Spotlight | Benjamin Hanna
Hometown: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Q: What’s your climbing style?
A: Awesome
Q: What is your proudest accomplishment in climbing, and outside of climbing?
A: That’s hard to say since I don’t have a life outside of climbing.
Q: What advice would you give to your first year climbing self?
A: Warm up, train harder, and you don’t have time for girls.
Q: Who do you take advice from and why?
A: Brad Hilbert. He is one of my mentors and I really trust his opinion when it comes to training, but also in life. I always take advice from my momma, she’s always right…even when she’s wrong.
Q: How has your training for climbing changed in the last year?
A: I’ve become a lot more focused on my goals and my training this last season. I really realized what I have to do to succeed and have made the changes this year to make that happen.
Q: How has climbing affected the people you choose to surround yourself with?
A: I want to be around psyched people. Life is just so much better when you’re around people who want to get things done. So, that’s who I surround myself with.
Q: What have you done to give back to the climbing community?
A: I don’t really have an answer for that. I would like to think I give back to my community, but I can’t think of anything I’ve done that’s not just part of being in a community.
Q: What have you learned from failure?
A: I’ve learned a lot from failure. I don’t think any one session was more important than the rest, but just to take something away every time.
Q: Who are the climbers that inspire you the most and why?
A: I mean it’s pretty hard to not be inspired by Sharma.
Q: What is your favorite climbing location and why?
A: Hueco Tanks. Hueco has always had a special place in my heart.
Q: Why Butora Climbing?
A: Great quality, highly reliable, but above all else, the people behind Butora Climbing are incredibly kind and have the best work ethic I have ever seen.
Q: What are your favorite before and after climbing meals?
A: You can never go wrong with Chipotle.
Q: What is your spirit animal?
A: Hulk
Questions from the Internet
Q: What differences have you found in climbing Narsha versus climbing in Acro?
A: The Narsha has a lot stiffer rubber with makes it better for edging and the Arco is softer, which means the rubber sticks better.
Q: What are some tips you would give to new outdoor climbers about crag etiquette?
A: This is not your house and your mom’s not going to clean up after you.
Q: Tips you would give to someone who is stuck on their project? How do you stay motivated when you are stuck?
A: You either need to train harder or rest more. Chances are you are not doing one of those and that is up to you to figure out and to change.
Q: How have you overcome fear in climbing (fear of falling, fear of failure, etc.)?
A: Leading used to be very scary for me but with a bit of work and time I’ve come to love it. Now, I will only lead climb.
Check out our next Ambassador, Matthew Carpenter.
