Aberdeen climber Max Milne believes he is on the cusp of realising his childhood Olympics dream.
Torry’s Max will compete at two intense Olympic Qualifying Series events in Shanghai, China, from May 16-19, and then Budapest, Hungary, from June 20-23.
He will be among a global pack of more than 40 elite climbers still to qualify for Paris 2024 later in the year – and will be aiming to secure Great Britain’s one remaining male combined boulder and lead climbing slot for the Games.
With another young climbing sensation, Surrey’s Toby Roberts, 19, already pre-selected for the Olympics, Max’s mission is to rank in the overall top-12 across the Shanghai and Budapest competitions, while simultaneously finishing ahead of fellow Brits (and training-mates) Hamish McArthur, Jim Pope and Jack MacDougall.
An Olympic place being so close means Max is nearing a goal he has had for so long, it even pre-dates his involvement in climbing.
“I’ve had this goal of being an Olympian since before I climbed – when me and one of my schools friends would practise in my garden by throwing sticks and pretending they were javelins, or get the tape measure and practise long jumping,” Max said.
“I’m 5ft 5in, so I obviously was never going to be a long jumper!
“I was searching for a sport. But I found climbing – which was something I really loved and connected to.
“It wasn’t an Olympic sport, so the dream went out the window for a wee while, until 10 years later when it was announced it was going to be.
“It became a possibility.
“I’ve always dreamt of it happening (qualifying for the Olympics), and then the last competition… my lead results were there and my boulder results were there. I was like: ‘Okay, I can really do this now. I can go to the selection events and do well.’
“It would be a good feeling to qualify. I don’t know what the emotions would be like, but it would be a big dream come true.”
Max after 2024 World Cup opener: ‘Confidence-wise, I feel really good’
Last year, by Max’s own admission, was “hard”.
But, in 2023, issues with one of his wrists popping out of place affected his performances, and he missed out on previous Paris 2024 qualification opportunities as a result.
Now fully-rehabbed, Max was in China just two weeks ago, competing in a World Cup event in Wujiang, putting on a performance which bolstered his belief he can land the remaining British spot for the Olympics.
Max said: “I made finals in lead – and I’ve never made semi-finals in lead – so the progress I’ve made there, it’s like… Okay, confidence-wise, I feel really good in my lead shape and my boulder was still as good or better than it has ever been.
“With my abilities, I know I can definitely qualify top-12.”
One of the three other British climbers Max will be vying with in Shanghai and Budapest, MacArthur, is his housemate in Leeds.
The duo set out during Covid with the aim of reaching the Olympics together, but Max said: “We’ve been training and living together since lockdown, and had this goal to compete with each other at the Olympics.
“Then Toby came on to the scene and absolutely killed it and pre-qualified, so only one of us can now qualify. We can’t both go to the Games.
“It hurts a little bit – it’s super-cool for Toby, but it was this goal we had together and envisioned.
“But at the end of last year, we spoke, and said we’re just going to try to push each other as best we can and perform as best we can, and that way one of us will get to go – maybe him, maybe me.”
Climber’s incredible pulling strength and hopes to bring ‘magic’ at Paris 2024
Max relocated from Aberdeen to Leeds for coaching and training facilities when he was 18.
His arduous pre-Olympics regime is comprised of “lots of volume”, including three sessions of both boulder and lead climbing – which can all be four hours-plus – each week.
This work is supplemented by weighted pull-ups, calisthenics, cardio-building runs and fingerboarding (hanging from specially-made board by your fingertips with weight).
Climbers are famed for their pulling strength and Max, at a body weight of 59 kilograms, can perform a weighted pull-up with an impressive 70kg attached to his waist.
Max’s dad Allan and twin sister Rachel, as well as big brother Alex, still live in Aberdeen, and the plan is for Allan and Rachel to fly out to Budapest to – hopefully – see the Granite City grip guru land his Team GB place for Paris.
But what about at the Games?
Max said: “I’m always going out to win. I’m always going out to do my best.
“Even though a lot of the other athletes will be pre-selected and really peaking for that (Paris), while I’m peaking for the OQS and then the Olympics, when it comes to the moment and the time, I usually bring out some magic.
“I don’t know where it comes from – but I can see me not being the favourite, but shocking the world and doing some cool things.
“Hopefully I can qualify.”
Max on mum: ‘I know she would be super proud of me’
Even qualifying would be poignant for Max, whose mum Catherine died from cancer when he was just 10, and whose memory – however high the walls get – has been a grounding force while he pursues his climbing career.
He said: “It helps me. It drives me forward.
“On my chalk bag, I have this pin that we got when we went to Disneyland together when I was four. So I always take a piece of her on the mat with me.
“I think it helps me focus. I see that and it reminds me about humility and that climbing isn’t everything. There’s bigger things. I want to achieve this goal, but no matter what, I’ve been through harder things.
“I would love to go to the Olympics and reach these goals, and I know she would be super proud of me.”
Conversation