Scaling new heights with pioneering climber Jo Ala
"It's part of the ebb and flow of things that you'll have bad days. I've been climbing for 11 years, and it took so long before I won the national championship. I look back on all my years of climbing, and I wouldn't replace any of the failures I had."
Joanne "Jo" Ala is a force in both climbing and life. As a national athlete and environmental lawyer, she’s dedicated over a decade to her craft, exploring the sport of climbing with relentless passion and purpose. While climbing has been part of the Filipino sports scene since the 1980s, it’s still seen as a niche sport for many. Despite the challenges, Jo’s journey is a testament to perseverance and love for the process.
Now a national champion and the CEO of Vertex Bouldering gym, Jo doesn’t measure her success by medals alone—she celebrates every fall, every challenge, and every climb that shaped her. On the Go Hard Girls podcast with guest correspondent Mayelle Nisperos, Jo opened up about the hard work it took to have a healthy mindset towards competition, and how she overcame mental health struggles and body image issues on the way to becoming one of the deeply respected climbers in the Philippines.
Today, Jo continues to inspire as she balances her athletic pursuits with her advocacy for environmental justice. She reminds us all to embrace life’s challenges and find joy in the journey.
"To be a Go Hard Girl is to live life with passion. I read this thing that says after your death, your brain lives for seven minutes and it plays the most vivid memories of your life. I want the last seven minutes of my life to be the best movie ever."
🎧 Listen to her story on the Go Hard Girls podcast! Get it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
This episode was made possible through the Go Hard Girls Grants, which empowers creators to tell the stories of Filipina athletes. The Go Hard Girls Grants are supported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation International Development and Women in News & Sports (WINS).
