CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Corporal Tyler Bukoski is always looking for the next problem to solve. Bored with gym workouts, he was set on finding a new challenge.
Inspired by his wife, the 22 year old from Wanaque, New Jersey, began rock climbing and immediately found a passion for the sport. The complexity and physical challenge is what fuels his passion for the sport.
In this interview Bukoski, a computer maintainer for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, tells us how climbing sharpens his mind and body.
Q: What does a computer maintainer do?
A: I fix computers, phones, routers, switches. I can also work on radios and satellites, so pretty much anything that can turn on and off.
Q: What got you into climbing?
A: Actually my wife got me into climbing and the first time I went, I never stepped foot back in a weight lifting gym again. I’ve been doing this ever since. It’s been about a year and a half now.
Q: What was your first experience like for you?
A: Tremendously difficult. It’s like the most difficult thing I’ve ever tried to do. It keeps getting harder.
Q: Is it a more mentally or physically demanding sport?
A: Actually both. It’s a lot of mental. It’s a big head game. So you just have to push yourself further and further.
Q: What was the hardest thing for you to learn?
A: I’d say, trying to solve which routes to take to the top or how do I get from here to there without getting stuck or falling.
Q: What do you love most about it?
A: It continues to push me mentally and physically. Every day I find a new problem. [The gym] resets every month or so. They set new rocks and routes so it’s a whole new set of problems.
Q: How do you apply this to your job?
A: This is most of my [physical training]. I can do pull-ups for days now. I actually improved my run time a lot too. I can push myself further than I could have before.
Q: What about the sport do you love the most?
A: It’s one of those things you lose yourself in. When I’m climbing, that’s all there is. It’s everything.
Q: How often do you climb?
A: I climb about three or four days a week for at least an hour. It’s exhausting, so I’ll give my body a days rest and then get back at it. When I get lost in it, I can be here for hours.
Q: How long do you plan on doing this?
A: Forever, or until I find something better. As soon as I started doing this it became a weekly thing for me.
Q: Southern California has such a diverse terrain. Do you ever climb outside?
A: I’ve only ever done it once I think. My wife tries to get me to go all the time, but this place is six minutes from my house, so I’m here four days out of the week.
For the Warrior Wednesday video on Bukoski, visit our YouTube page at: http://youtu.be/0iSKryul2fM.