#119 - 5 Powerful Lessons from Emily Harrington's "Girl Climber"

In this T4C podcast, I’m going to share five powerful lessons for achieving big, difficult goals that I took away from watching Girl Climber — the new film that chronicles Emily Harrington’s incredible, multi-year journey to free-climb El Capitan’s Golden Gate route in under 24 hours.

For me, this isn’t just a film about climbing—it’s about resilience, will power, and the triumph of human spirit, Furthermore, it serves as a bold reminder of what it takes to stay committed to a dream in the face of fear, doubt, setbacks, and even failure. As Emily’s journey shows, greatness isn’t built on talent alone. It comes from disciplined training, uncommon courage and toughness, and the willingness to keep showing up for a goal that feels just out of reach.

I had the chance to see Girl Climber on its IMAX theatrical release date, August 24th, and I’ll tell you—it was excellent! Truly a must-see for anyone passionate about climbing…or simply fascinated by what it takes to push the human mind and body to their limits in pursuit of a big goal.

Podcast Rundown

0:15 – Intro to T4C podcast and my initial thoughts on the Girl Climber film

1:30 – If you missed it in IMAX theaters, don’t worry. The film is now playing on the Indy Movie Theater network, with larger chain theaters scheduled to pick it up in the coming months. And starting this October, Girl Climber will be available online as a paid download from jolt.films. Watch trailer >>

2:00 – Intro to the 5 powerful lessons on display in Girl Climber.

2:35 – Emily’s backstory and diverse climbing accomplishments

4:35 – 5 powerful lessons for pursing audacious goals

7:00 – Definition of “BHAG” (big hairy audacious goals), as popularized by Jim Collins

9:00 – Lesson #1: Commit for the Long Haul

11:45 – Lesson #2: Embrace the Bruising Process

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17:20 – Lesson #3 – Persevere Through Adversity

19:15 – Lesson #4 – Build a Strong Support Team

22:07 – Lesson #5 – Believe in the Endgame

23:45 – Importance of surrounding yourself with “doers” (and avoiding critics and shit talkers)

25:40 – Final comments…PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW…and share this podcast with your friends!

27:24 – Hörst Out!

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Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.

Music by Misty Murphy

Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing

Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.