For anyone who climbs indoors these days, it is very apparent that the new generation of climbers are getting stronger. No exception to this rule is the Hive Bouldering Gym‘s youth team. Aptly names The Swarm, this youth team is a regular force in the gym.
A big part of the Swarm team are Guy and Kindar McNamee. Born in Haiti and living in Vancouver since the age of two, Guy and Kindar are identical twins. They have been climbing since they were nine years of age. Now, at the age of sixteen, both of these competitors are starting to come into their own and are already a force to be reckoned with.
Guy and Kindar McNamee. Photo by Ken Chow ©
We had a chance to catch up with Guy and Kindar before they departed to Montreal for the 2019 Youth Boulder Nationals and here is what they said.
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Hi Guys, first off thanks for chatting with us! So, you are both heading out to Youth Boulder Nationals this weekend. What are you looking forward to the most for this weekend?
Guy: I am looking forward to competing with the best youth climbers in Canada and excited for some challenging routes and testing my skills and training in a more international type competition.
Kindar: I am most looking forward to trying challenging problems.
Travelling with the Swarm team must be pretty fun. Does being a part of a team make competing a lot better?
G: I really love being part of the Swarm team because of the strong connection with our coaches and teammates. We support and encourage each other and our coaches are always there for us when we are competing from warming up, to putting on our bibs, and preparing us for our turn. Sometimes when traveling we go out for dinner which is a lot of fun.
K: It’s a lot of fun being part of the Swarm Team! I can cheer on my teammates and they also cheer me on. We have a training camp once a year which is really fun and we have parties at Christmas and the end of the year.
Guy and Kindar. Photo by Ken Chow ©
I want to get a little into when you guys started climbing because it was just a couple years ago. How did you discover the Hive and how did you get into climbing?
G: When Kindar and I were young, we climbed everything. We climbed doorways, walls, roofs, trees, etc. Our Dad took us to Cliffhanger and we loved it the very first time we went on the wall. We kept going back for drop-ins until we were nine and then started training once a week at cliffhanger. We started at the Hive when were twelve and have been climbing and competing ever since.
What did you do before you discovered climbing?
G: We tried a bunch of things like gymnastics, four years of ballet and one year of soccer.
K: We are also still in a choir and take piano lessons.
You are both obviously very talented climbers. Did you love climbing from the get go or was it something you were just good at and then slowly progressed to where you are now?
G: We LOVED climbing and were naturally good at it from the very beginning. Our love for climbing has got stronger over the years and our skills are improving as we get older and train harder.
K: I loved climbing from the very beginning.
Guy McNamee. Photo by Ken Chow ©
Being brothers and both enjoying the same sport must come with its advantages as well as its challenges. Does being brother motivate you to try harder?
G: I think it is only an advantage when having Kindar training with me. We both motivate each other to climb harder. We talk about climbing all the time. It is nice to always have a climbing buddy.
K: Climbing with Guy motivates me to improve and its such an advantage to climb with Guy because he can help me with problems. I can’t think of any disadvantages – I love climbing with Guy!
Kindar McNamee. Photo by Ken Chow ©
How do you guys deal with one brother placing better than the other in some competitions?
G: We are fine with it. We each have our own strengths and we are really happy when the other succeeds.
K: We deal with it well. I’m always happy when Guy does well.
Are you guys the same age?
G: We are both sixteen. We are identical twins.
Do you hang out at school as much as you hang out in the climbing gym?
G: We are homeschooled so we spend all our time together.
K: Yes, we do.
You seem to have a focus on bouldering, lead and speed. Is that because of the Olympics or do you guys like all three disciplines of climbing?
G: We are doing all three because of the Olympics but we prefer bouldering and lead. My favourite discipline is bouldering, without question.
K: I’m not as fond of speed climbing.
Kindar McNamee. Photo by Ken Chow ©
Does one of you do better than the other in a certain discipline?
G: Yes. I generally do better in bouldering and Kindar in lead, though we are both pretty close in skill.
K: I do better at lead and Guy does better at bouldering.
You are a big part of the Hive team and are coached by Christian Core. How does Christian push you to work harder?
G: We actually have three coaches. JC Reinosa, Lucas Greenough and Christian. They work us pretty hard during conditioning and also help us improve on our weaknesses. They encourage me to climb really challenging routes and are always positive and encouraging. They want the best for me.
K: Christian makes me very difficult climbs and works on my weaknesses. He is kind and encouraging.
Guy McNamee. Photo by Ken Chow ©
Do you guys spend anytime climbing outside and is that something you hope to focus on in the future?
G: I do a little bit of climbing outdoor and would like to do a bit more. I have climbed outdoors in Squamish, North Vancouver, and in the Rockies but my main focus is indoor competition climbing.
K: I have done a little bit of outdoor climbing, but like Guy, my main focus is competitions. I would like to climb all my life, even after competition days are over. We have two more year of high school and Id like to keep competing and eventually go to university and study science.
The competition schedule seems pretty tight at this time of year and you guys sat out of Tour De Bloc to focus on this weekend. Was that a hard thing to do, seeing all the action?
G: It was difficult but I knew that it was the best idea. I also got a chance for forerun the finals climbs the Thursday before the comp.
K: It wasn’t that hard to do. I knew it was for the best. We were lucky to be able to do the problems on Thursday.
Guy McNamee on the podium. Photo courtesy of Ken Chow ©
After Youth Nationals, will you also compete in Open Bouldering Nationals in Calgary two weeks later?
G: We will be competing at both competitions.
Do you guys hope to take a shot at the World Cup one day?
G: I have been to the IFSC Youth World Championships in Innsbruck and Moscow. I have also attended the Pan American Championships in Montreal and hope continue competing in Youth World Championships and also start competing at world cups.
K: I have been to the Youth World Championships twice and to the Pan-American Championships once. I hope to make it to the Youth World Championships for the next three years and to compete in the World Cups also.
Well, thanks guys! Have an awesome time in Montreal and I hope things go well! Good luck for both competitions coming up!
Guy and Kindar McNamee are sponsored by MEC, Evolv and Flashed climbing.
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