Hello Freddies!
From Olympos to LA
Hello for the first time, and welcome to my blog! This will be an honest diary, documenting the ups and downs of my journey to becoming the first Paralympic champion in climbing. Yes, you read that right—recently, it was announced that paraclimbing, the sport I’ve been competing in for eight years, will debut in the Paralympics at LA2028 and now it’s my life goal to compete and win at the Paralympics in 2028.
Mount Olympos
The idea for this blog came to me last week while hiking up Mount Olympos in Turkey, a mountain standing about 2,000 meters high (see image). The hike up Olympos was challenging. It took us about four hours to reach the summit, the weather was great, but after days of walking towards the base of the Olympos, I was starting to feel fatigued. As I walked up, it struck me how symbolic this hike was for the road ahead to LA2028. Instead of four hours, my journey to LA2028 will take four years. Each step on its own might seem insignificant, but together, they lead to the summit—as long as every step is taken in the right direction. Similarly, each day from now until the Paralympics might seem small on its own, but collectively, they will lead me to my ultimate goal: winning gold. The key is to start living each day with LA2028 in my mind.
So that’s what I’ll need to do from now on.
By writing this blog, I hope to keep my friends and family updated on my journey, inspire some of you to chase your own dreams, and keep myself motivated week after week. I also hope to raise awareness about paraclimbing and para sports in general. All in all, let’s be honest, becoming a Paralympic champion is just the first step toward my ultimate goal of becoming the Minister of Sports after the first elections following LA2028.
Become a Freddy
This journey won’t be easy. There will be challenges, setbacks, and moments where giving up might seem tempting. That’s why I need a team—people who believe in me, support me, and help me push through tough times. These people are my Freddies. If you want to be a Freddy, you’re already a Freddy! But you can become an official Freddy by subscribing to this blog (if you haven’t already).
What to Expect
Next week, I’ll probably talk about habits and discipline. I’ll reveal some bad habits I’m a bit ashamed of. We probably all have them. However for me building good habits and breaking bad ones is an important battle I will have to win.
I plan to post once a week. From time to time, I might even interview some interesting people or create a podcast. Stay with me on this journey—and when I’ll shake the hand of our king after showing him my medaille, You’ll be shaking with me.