Drew Haigh (30) is from Pickering, North Yorkshire. After eight years of non-stop travelling and climbing he discovered the delights of competition climbing when he entered – and comprehensively won – the British Team Trials last December.

As if further proof of his plastic prowess was needed, he is also currently top of the BMC Leading Ladder open competition series. Tom Randall caught up with Drew at a recent team training session to find out his secret.

So, are you a natural climber?
No, not by any means. Nobody is ‘naturally’ good at climbing – it’s the training that makes you excel. You can be naturally less rubbish, but that’s about it!

What brought you to competition climbing?
I’d had acute kidney failure for a year and a half, and with not climbing for ages I wanted to see how strong I was. I’d put on about three stone and had just managed to get it all off again for the Team Trials. It was a bit of a fitness test and I guess a little bit of me had always wanted to climb for my country. My brother Rob did well on the same day – making our parents really proud.

What grade are you onsighting on a good day and how long did it take to get there?
F8a+. That took 8 years.

What are the best things about being a competition climber?
I haven’t actually done any competitions yet, so I don’t really know! But getting to train with other motivated people is good.

Tell me a little about your training…
When I was well, I’d train 5-6 days a week. This would involve routes indoors or suitable routes outdoors with steep laps up to 80 moves and short boulder problems and circuits. I often climb with a weight belt, since the walls in Britain don’t have hard routes - you’re lucky if you get one or two F8a’s, so what do you do if you onsight F8a+? I’d warm up with skipping and a Theraband and always end a session with sit-ups, oblique raises and push-ups to failure. I’d also stretch and do free weights every day. Every morning I’d also run for at least 45 minutes before breakfast which is great for fat burning. When I would be away on trips (usually about 8 months a year) I’d climb nearly every day, normally on steep limestone. At the moment I’m managing to train two evenings a week and sometimes on Saturdays as well, but that’s about it. As I feel better I’ll pick it up.

What’s your best achievement in climbing to date?
Travelling for eight years abroad nearly non-stop, with practically no money. And onsighting over 70 F8a’s and F8a+’s whilst still being ‘unknown’.

What are your goals for the future?
Starting up my own company (www.homemadeclimbingstuff.com) which I hope will make me an ethical million. And to onsight 8b this year.

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