LIMIT MAG Pearl Going ARTICLE

Pearl Going: The down low on big peaks and chasing big dreams.

What's happening in the picture?

It's a self portrait taken on my Sony cybershot at the top of Mt Iron as sunrise hit in Wanaka where I train and have been in rehab for my hip/leg injury. I hadn't been able to climb anything for over a month and had Everest delayed until potentially post monsoon which was heart breaking this was my first hit out and I'm pulling the three stripes 'all in' gesture because that was literally my all in moment. After coming off injury I had more fear scaling Mt Iron that morning than I have previous high altitude peaks. I'm wearing the new Adidas Outdoor Terrex Gore Windstopper active shell jacket. There is an awesome competition that Adidas Outdoor are running globally right now, you can visit www.terrex-experience.com to get involved.

From the last time we caught up after you set the Killimanjaro speed traverse record what's been happening in the world of Pearl Going?

I had a break over Christmas after a solid 3 months all go having been in Russia, China, Africa and Thailand climbing. I've signed on board with Black Diamond as an ambassador which is exciting. I spent a month in South America & completed the first Australasian full 360 traverse of the second highest of the 7 summits Mt Aconcagua last month in under 5 days base camp to base camp, unfortunately I was hit by a pretty gnarly rock fall but I still completed my summit/traverse.

Rock fall sounds like the stuff mountain nightmares are made of, can you elaborate there?

Yeah, it wasn't the most ideal situation. It happened on my ascent of Aconcagua. I have spent the last 5 weeks in with my medical team putting myself back together. I'm getting ready for Carstensz pyramid right now because it pushed Everest back to post monsoon, Carstensz is the most risky of the 7 summits in the jungles of West Papua. The rock fall caused some serious bone contusions , deep multiple hematomas etc. I went on to reach the summit and get the record but on descent as I got some more oxygen in the system the seriousness of my injury became apparent. My right leg collapsed on me when I reached the next base camp, we had to descend in bitterly cold conditions with about 80km winds ripping very early after summit, because the weather had trashed the tents.

How much of a challenge has it been mentally coming back from injury?

It's funny you mentioned nightmares earlier. My physio Ginny Bush who also takes care of the NZ Winter Olympic team said to me on the first day in her office, you've got to get your confidence back. She had the job of telling me I couldn't go to Everest that week. I couldn't bring myself to get emotional about it because it was such a heavy hit, I came home and just collapsed. I didn't leave the lounge floor until the morning. I didn't tell anyone but my family for the first week. Everyday I'd go to physio with Ginny, she would watch me struggle and tell me it was going to get better. So that is what I would tell myself, I was still alive and as long as I was still alive, Everest was still in my heart, I could climb again. There's a quote from the Alchemist my favorite book "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky." Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams." It's great to be moving again.

Is it times like that you wonder why you're climbing mountains?

No, I know why I'm climbing mountains. It's not easy, it's supposed to be difficult. Nobody wants to be on a mountain freezing cold, in the dark, stuck in 80km winds but when you climb big mountains that is always a possibility. You have to go all in, you literally have to dig the deepest you possibly can to handle a situation like that. There is no magic helicopter so to speak.

Is it more challenging as a woman venturing into mountains?

Physically possibly, if you are my size and build then most definitely. Mentally I would say the challenge can be the same. I'm very blessed in the sense from day one I've had people like my coach Guy Cotter screaming Go Girl, take no prisoners. So that s how I approach a mountain I'm climbing, I just give it everything i've got, for as long as it takes, it's a take no prisoners mindset.

Do you think there is an emergence of younger female climbers coming through?

If there is an emergence it is definitely been driven by brands Black Diamond or Adidas for example, if you look at everything in their range you wont find a piece of womans gear identical to mens. With Adidas it's because they are essentially a sports brand who has already gone through that transition, they make clothes for athletes and they understand the science behind what is needed for men and woman to perform individually. They are probably leading the way in getting to the female market with kick ass girls who are putting their hands up and saying “yeah, I wear nail polish and bake but I will own you on the mountain/wall, so look out”. Their willingness to back these woman is what is going to make climbing appealing to younger generations of woman, it's like saying just because your girly doesn't mean you're not hard core. I think sport climbing has so many amazing young woman coming through and dominating, I would love to see the same happen in alpine.

You come from argurably most successful sporting dynasty in the southern hemisphere the 'Going' family. Given their status as world rugby's first family and the status of rugby in New Zealand does it make you feel more pressured as an athlete?

The upsides outweigh the downsides because generations of my family have been outstanding athletes and understand the pressure you can put yourself under. That experience is invaluable, for example my injury I've been working through now. I've had my days when I've been so frustrated, I think I cried myself to sleep for two weeks when Everest this spring was pulled. Having them tell me I was going to come back on the days I couldn't even climb up the stairs was such a blessing. My cousin Jared Going (one of NZ's most dominant World Cup, Sevens Rugby players & son of All Black legend Sid Going) recently put me on a remedy that has helped me get walking again. My cousin Karlean Going (daughter of former All Black, Ken Going) just won Silver at the world free diving champs is also injured at the same time as me, so I have someone to bounce how frustrating it is off.

In a short period of time you've become the most prominent female climber for NZ public, I don't think I've ever heard so much mainstream buzz about a female climber down here before. Do you think who your family are have played a role in that?

Absolutely, it's a combination of things. It's such a prominent last name, people automatically associate it with rugby and sport in general. Then you have these images of me charging up mountains with Adidas who make professional rugby possible down here, all over me. It's automatically familiar for the NZ public. For the media how I look also makes it an attractive story, it generates interest because mountaineering is pretty tough and I don't look that tough.

How did you come to be climbing in Adidas Outdoor?

I had heard about their jackets been the lightest in the world so I got on the ph to Greg from Outdoor in the USA and told him I wanted to be the fastest woman in the world to climb the 7 summits. Infact Adidas Outdoor over there is completely seperate to Adidas Sports he was sitting in his office in California and never even recognised the whole Going last name. He was just all for a teeney girl like myself smashing a huge record, he never said but you're small, but you're a girl.I've had amazing support from the Adidas Outdoor guys, Marc in Germany is another one that is fantastic. That's the thing about a brand like Adidas Outdoor they not only make gear second to none but they employ people second to none and as an athlete it makes all the difference knowing the team who made your jacket were thinking about you rocking out in it 7000mtrs up before it even made it to your back.

What gear from Adidas Outdoor are you loving this season?

If I had to narrow it down I would say, I'm looking forward to tackling Denali in the new Terrex Down Jacket in this funky green and yellow with these special wrist cuffs to keep it sealed, It is phoenomenal and starts retailing in Europe, August. I have also fallen in love with Technopile a textile they're using for the hooded fleece jackets in this insane red/aqua, I'm loving the arm pocket which is perfect for stashing a GU gel or snack and the Terrex Gore-Tex active shell with a hood in bright red with pockets further up the breast which is going to be invaluable on Carstensz Pyramid and Mandala in West Papua next month as I will be in a harness. I'm loving the colors this season they are always very fashion forward, I find other brands tend to trail a season behind. I'm also wearing a fair bit of the Stella range about to come out which is absolutely beautiful.

What inspires you when you climb?

The people I love. I think climbing has definitely made me treasure those people more, I'm a better woman for those people because of climbing. I think that happens though when you are required to turn up day in, day out and give everything you've got to something. If you're smart about it you see the results and you want those kind of results in every area of your life so you tend to give more on a personal level, when you're in, you're 'all in' so to speak.

What is next on the horizon of Pearl Going?

I'm still completely on track for the speed record. Right now my focus is returning to 100%, One of my sponsors is going to send me up to Thailand to get on some warm rock in a better climate mid April to get my body moving again for a couple of weeks. From there I will travel up to West Papua where I will spend a month with a private team to attempt been the youngest Australasian woman and only the second NZ woman to scale Carstensz. The region is highly unstable politically and rather dangerous so it is a bit of an undertaking getting in and out. Right now the goal after that is Denali in mid to late June up the west buttress so hopefully I'm fighting fit for that. I of course also have a second ascent of Elbrus in Russia planned up the South side to be one of the first woman in the world to have climbed it North and South, which I will slot in at some point before the season ends. It should be an interesting couple of months I'm looking forward to my time in NZ between peaks.