IFSC Mitarbeiterin Elena Corriero führte vor kurzem ein Interview  Johanna Ernst. Wir wünschen  euch viel Spaß beim Nachlesen des interessanten Interviews.

INTERVIEW WITH JOHANNA ERNST (by Elena Corriero)

Her eyes almost hidden beneath her fringe of straight black hair, a punk style that well suits her 16 years of age and her spontaneous attitude. Johanna Ernst is the next bright star molded by the Austrian team, winner of the 2009 World Championship in Qinghai and of the European Championship 2008 in Paris; a playful attitude combined with ambition and talent, that brought her also to the top of the Lead World Cup 2009. She lives in Innsbruck with her family and she likes hip hop, r&b, some house and… Lady Gaga!

Johanna, you recently suffered an ankle injury. How long will it take to recover, and how will your ambitions be affected by the injury?
I won’t compete in so many World Cups but I have enough chances and I’m young, I have time. I can do better next year if this year isn’t working. It all depends on how good my foot is going to be. But I would like to take part in the European Championships and for sure I wanna win, as I did last year. We will see. And I don’t know if I can already start climbing before that date.

When did you start climbing, and why did you choose lead?
I started climbing when I was 8. I don’t know why I chose Lead, I just trained a lot in that discipline and so I thought I should start and kept doing it.

You also practice bouldering; which one do you like most?
(She laughs.) I like more bouldering because the atmosphere in the comps is different, as if it was not really a competition, not so much “competition-oriented”… I don’t know if it’s the right expression, but I mean it seems in bouldering there is more fun. In Lead competition there is more pressure and people are concentrated on their own performance and…I don’t know it’s different…. But outdoor I love both lead and bouldering.

How do you deal with stress at competitions?
I’m trying not to think too much about the result. I just climb, try to concentrate on it and relax.

What is the secret of the success of the Austrian team in your opinion?
I think there are many good climbers you can train with, and it’s for sure fun training with a lot of people, it helps you get better and you keep pushing each other. The trainers are really GOOD, and the gym is really good too, but in the last few years it has become somehow small for so many people.

How often do you train, and how? What’s your favorite exercise?
I’m training 5 days a week for 3 to 4 hours a day. I like bouldering with the team, it’s so much fun!! This is the advantage everyone is living in the same town and we all can train together.
Are you a pro or do you earn yourself a living?

Well I’m still living at my parent’s house and I have to pay the rent for the flat because I’m already earning money. Climbing… this is how I earn my money!

In your opinion, what is the future of climbing? What about the Olympics?
I hope climbing will become even more popular than it is today. Yeah, maybe climbing is going to be an Olympic sport. Well, the Olympic medal is the only thing I didn’t win yet! She laughs. Just kidding!

In this perspective, how can lead be improved?
I don’t know, it’s pretty boring right now. I mean if you are watching it. So something has to change but I don’t know what. I have to think about it. If I have any idea I will tell you.