online edition - PRO Sports Club

the finish line
Conquering the Elements
Roger Coote, Matthew Minton, and Heli Suokko
When Roger Coote and Matthew Minton decided to go from talking about climbing Mt.
Rainier over drinks to actually committing to it, they wanted to be in the best possible
condition so that they’d not only make the summit but also enjoy the journey just as
much. Being avid hikers and cyclists (they completed the STP together and often cycle to
work), they were already very fit.
Having grown up in Finland and having a travel business, Heli Suokko had always been an
outdoor athlete. She’d completed marathons and a half-Ironman. She wanted to challenge
herself further. After summiting Mt. Rainier with one of her clients from International
Mountain Guides, she decided to attempt Denali.
Getting Prepared
Roger: This is one of the most amazing
things that I’ve ever done and I wanted to
really enjoy the experience. If you’re fairly
fit and do some training, you can summit
but you’re not going to enjoy it as much
and you’ll have wasted the opportunity.
I knew my knee was going to be
bothersome, so I went to physical therapy.
The preventative exercises helped stabilize
my knee so I could perform the exercises in
the Mountain Conditioning class. Without
it, I wouldn’t have been able to do those
exercises, and without the exercises, I
wouldn’t have been in such good condition
to climb the mountain. It was the perfect
combination.
Heli: You’re on the mountain for three
weeks, so you need to be both physically
and mentally prepared. I’d exercise with
extra clothes on so I’d be too warm or wash
my face with ice cold water just to get
used to being uncomfortable. I also tried
dragging a tire up Mt. Si wearing a full
pack to get the feeling of what it might be
like to drag a sled.
About Mountain Conditioning
Matt: The class was an essential part of
our conditioning. The strength exercises
translated to conditions that we might face
on the mountain such as how our bodies
might stand up to strong winds or handle
pack weight in a way that keeps your body
stable and safe on the mountain. We were
the oldest climbers in our group to summit.
I think we kept up with those 20 year-olds
pretty well and were amongst the strongest
climbers in terms of physical fitness.
Without Carl Swedberg’s structure and
concentrated focus on strength, we
wouldn’t have been in that shape. Out of
12 clients, three didn’t make it. One of the
reasons they didn’t summit was because
they didn’t know what to expect.
Heli: It was a complete body workout and
I needed to build that strength. I became
addicted to the class. Even after the climb,
I’m still doing it.
48 PRO PULSE MARCH-APRIL 2011