Toughest Part Of Sport: Hard route to knowledge for sport climber Mark Chan

In the final part of this series, climber Mark Chan talks to Rohit Brijnath about life without a full-time coach

Remote video URL
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

In a room dedicated to upward mobility, the aerospace engineering student contemplates his ascent. He looks up at the wall in Boulder World and figures out the geometry of his climbing route. He's so lean he seems built of cords, wires and elastic, yet he's a cousin of weightlifters. For like them, he starts work by dipping his hands into powdered chalk.

Mark Chan's chalk is kept in a bag and his hands emerge coated in a film of white dust. Chalk helps his grip and his life depends on his grip. Sometimes his 57kg frame hangs from a tiny hold which is a few millimetres wide and he can't afford to fall. He won't die, just lose.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 26, 2020, with the headline Toughest Part Of Sport: Hard route to knowledge for sport climber Mark Chan. Subscribe