Lor Sabourin | Dealing With Fear

This summer I had a dinner at my house with a group of folks who I have immense respect for. Like-minded climbers who are interested in both exploring their own personal limits and pushing the community to be better. After the dinner, I heard the same feedback from nearly every person - that conversations with Lor were the highlight of the night. That and my tacos, of course.
Lor is a climber who leans into every style in a really intentional effort to improve. They are a Warriors Way coach who has the incredible ability to listen, empathize, and ask you very kind questions that introduce you to the precise first step you need to take. That might be an actionable first step, or it might be a thought or emotion you’ll have to grapple with, but it will lead you in the right direction.

Because of this, I decided to (very selfishly) turn this episode into, essentially, a private coaching session.

I’ve recently been leaning into my fears of tall boulders and trying to document my process. I asked Lor to watch a video I had made about a recent scary project, a V10 called Flight of the Antelope, and give me feedback on my process. They delivered with an absolute gift of a conversation.

Climbing better isn’t about just getting physically stronger. It’s about confronting whatever obstacles you find in front of you. Dancing with them instead of fighting. Better understanding your own motivations, and not taking the easier path just because it’s easier. Lor has written for us before about Finding Joy in Improbable Goals - an article that inspired me to lean harder into the things that scare me. They are the subject of a brilliant documentary film from Patagonia called They/Them that will be released on October 6th. 30 seconds into watching the film I said, out loud, “Fuck, I know exactly how that feels.” Lor has dealt with all of the same fear that you have. They have leaned into it, and emerged a better teacher for it. This film does a fantastic job of highlighting this incredible human.

Photo by Blake McCord of McCord Media.