For Janja Garnbret, Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion, reaching the summit of competitive climbing was only the beginning. Now, the Slovenian star is using her platform to expose what she calls a “cultural problem” within the sport — the dangerous obsession with weight that has fueled widespread eating disorders among athletes.
Speaking to CNN Sport, Garnbret said climbing has long been shadowed by an outdated belief: the lighter you are, the better you perform. “It’s integrated in our brains,” she admits. “Of course you don’t want to weigh too much, but you don’t want to weigh too little either. You have to be something in the middle.”
Though she never struggled personally with eating disorders, Garnbret has watched friends and teammates “destroy themselves mentally and physically” chasing the illusion that less weight equals more success. Her emotional 2023 Instagram post — asking if the sport was “raising a generation of skeletons” — sparked global conversation and brought the issue of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) into sharper focus.
In response, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) introduced new regulations addressing REDs, making it the first global sports body to mandate health screenings for climbers ahead of Paris 2024.
At just 24, Garnbret has already become more than an athlete — she’s a mentor and advocate for a healthier future in climbing. Her commitment deepened after overcoming a serious toe injury that sidelined her last year, forcing her to rebuild both her body and mindset.
“I learned a lot about myself — how I deal with setbacks, how I grow from them,” she reflects. “Once you have one Olympic medal, you always want another. But I also want to leave the sport better than I found it.”
Insight:
Garnbret’s message extends beyond climbing — it’s a call to every sport that glorifies extremes. Her journey reminds us that true strength isn’t measured in kilograms lost, but in balance, resilience, and the courage to challenge toxic traditions.
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