English rock climber Toby Roberts, who is 18 years old, focuses on outdoor sport climbing and competition climbing. He is now qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Toby Roberts Qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics
18-year-old British climbing phenom Toby Roberts completed off a 2023 season by securing Great Britain’s first-ever men’s sports climbing quota spot for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
After strong showings in the boulder and lead semi-finals, Roberts sat in fourth position entering the final lead climb at the 2023 European Championships, which also served as the Olympic qualifier event. But the young Brit saved his best for last, putting together a perfect climb to the top on the lead wall, the only athlete of the day to do so.
This gold medal-winning performance secured Roberts the top spot on the podium and more importantly, punched Team GB‘s ticket to Paris 2024 in the climbing competition.
Toby Roberts Early Years in England
Toby Roberts was born on March 15, 2005 in England. He stands at 1.77 meters tall (approximately 5 feet 10 inches). Roberts’ father, Tristan Roberts, serves as his longtime coach and supporter. He also has one sister named Katie Roberts.
Roberts first began climbing in 2013 at Edgeborough School near Farnham. Identifying his natural talent, Roberts began dedicated training by age 10.
An outgoing personality, Roberts maintains an active presence on YouTube and Instagram where he provides vlogs and photos documenting his climbing journey. His posts highlight World Cup contests, training regimens, recovery techniques, sponsor shoutouts, and more.
Toby Roberts Climbing Career
His Initial & Early Beginning
Roberts’ first ever climb took place at just 3 years old during a family outing. Even at this extremely young age, he demonstrated the raw talent that entertained his climbing instructor.
Upon being introduced to climbing at age 7, Roberts became completely loved by the sport. He began training at a local club, by intense motivation to continually improve. Focused only on progressing his skills, Roberts trained tirelessly in both indoor and outdoor settings from a remarkably young age.
At just 10 years old, he became the youngest ever to climb Raindogs (8a route) at Malham Cove. Over the next years, Roberts claimed several other benchmark climbs before turning 16:
- Age 15: Youngest Brit to climb a 9a route (Steve McClure’s Rainshadow, Malham Cove)
- Age 16: 12th ever climber to conquer Ben Moon’s famously challenging Hubble route
Professional career
Still only 18 years old, Roberts enjoyed a breakout 2023 season that marked his appearance as one of the world’s top professional climbers. In June, he captured gold in the bouldering event at the senior level of competition, his first major international victory.
Just months later, Roberts made his name in Great Britain’s climbing history books. At the 2023 European Championships serving as an Olympic qualifier, Roberts secured first place to become the second Brit ever to directly qualify for the Olympic climbing competition.
Also Read: All you need to know about Paris Olympics GB Canoeist Joseph Clarke
Scheduled for Paris 2024, Roberts will have a chance at just age 19 to capture Olympic glory.
With guidance from his father Tristan, Roberts has become an elite athlete. Taking on a coaching role, his father designed tailored training programs focused on measured improvement year-to-year with the goal of Paris 2024.
