#12 Chris Hanke

Chris Hanke knew climbing from a very young age. “My parents dragged me through the mountains already as a small child; I could climb sooner than walk.” Both of his siblings climbed as well.

However, it didn’t become his “main sport” straight away. As a youngster he tried different activities, like athletics, gymnastics, skiing… He was into gymnastics when he got noticed by a climbing coach who was responsible for a children’s group in Munich (his hometown). The coach invited him to join a session or two with the group. Chris accepted and really enjoyed the “proper climbing”.

Having experience in different sports, especially gymnastics, Chris approached climbing in a structured way from the word go. He already had an idea about what systematic training looks like and having access to a coach helped as well.

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