Garnbret and Oceane sport climbing training

It was a lateral training exercise that earned the Olympic champion praise.

Oceane joined Garnbret at the Rehabo Center, where off-wall training is the focus. The first exercise was to stand vertically against the wall and pull a tight band around both knees. Raising her arms up and holding onto a bar attached to a cable that pulls unpredictably with varying force, with no pattern of what it will do next, was completely new to Oceane.

Oceane tried the exercise at 70 percent of the resistance Garnbret set at the beginning and did well. “It’s unpredictable, so you have to be prepared for anything,” she concluded.

It was the attempt to perform the same exercise at 100 percent effort that earned Garnbret the comment “seriously impressed.”

Sideways exercises are one of Oceane’s favorite exercises. “If I could run my 100 miles sideways, I would, I love it that much,” admits the woman who was probably a crab in a previous life.

However, the Brit failed a balance test. Balancing on a wobbly board involves moving your feet in increments, which causes a symbol on a screen to hit targets, like in a computer game.

Oceane scored zero points.

“I do things at the BOSU ball, but this is totally different,” she said.

“I also got a zero when I came here, so don’t worry,” said a smiling Garnbret, who revealed that for optimal performance she needs a little variety to keep climbing playful.

“These exercises are fun because you work on your weaknesses while you play. You don’t even notice that you’re training because you’re so focused on the game,” she says.

“I’m the kind of person that if I’m not having fun, I’m definitely not going to get a good result… I know if I’m having fun, everything will be OK,” Garnbret told TIME magazine in 2021. The magazine included Garnbret on its second annual TIME100 Next list, which highlights rising leaders from around the world who are shaping the future. Yes, Garnbret is so good that she’s on the list.