In this episode of the podcast, Kevin sits down with the bold, brilliant, and refreshingly real Matt Chapman.  A performance coach in the climbing world, currently based in Canada. Matt is a coach who doesn’t just focus on fingerboards and footwork – he’s deeply invested in the inner landscape of his athletes. His methods might raise a few eyebrows in today’s world of soft metrics and comfort-zone coaching. At first glance, his approach may seem a little unorthodox, even tough. But scratch the surface, and you’ll discover that every bit of his philosophy is rooted in care, kindness, and unwavering support for the people he trains.

Matt believes that the purpose of coaching isn’t just to build better climbers – it’s to build better humans. His focus? Resilience. Grit. The capacity to fail and get back up. Because in both sport and life, failure isn’t an “if” – it’s a “when.” And what matters most is how we respond. Matt talks openly about how today’s culture often shields people from discomfort, and how his goal is to reverse that by preparing athletes for the real world, where setbacks are part of the terrain.

Kevin and Matt dive into what it really means to support someone. Not by making things easier, but by helping them become strong enough to handle what’s hard. There’s a raw honesty and deep wisdom in Matt’s approach, and it’s clear that behind the intensity is a coach who genuinely loves and respects the athletes he works with.

This conversation is equal parts thought-provoking, challenging, and uplifting.  A must-listen for anyone interested in performance psychology, meaningful coaching, and what it takes to truly grow, both on and off the wall.

Check out the full episode in the links below.