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Ep168: Alex Honnold · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify kid
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  cats Daily starts your day fun. Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where
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  we bring news, trivia, fun facts, and more just for curious
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  kids like you. Today we're going on an
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  adventure, not up a mountain, but into the life of someone who
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  climbs mountains for real. Alex Honnold.
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  Get ready to learn about a real life Spider man, except he
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  doesn't wear a costume or swing from webs.
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  He uses his hands, feet, and a whole lot of courage.
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  So who is Alex Honnold? Imagine standing at the bottom
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  of a super tall wall, maybe even taller than your school
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  building, and deciding to climb all the way to the top using
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  just your hands and feet. No ropes, no safety Nets, just
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  you and the rock. That's what Alex Honnold does.
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  He's a professional rock climber, and he's most famous
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  for something called free solo climbing.
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  But don't worry, we'll explain what that means in a way that
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  makes sense. Let's start with climbing
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  basics. Have you ever climbed a tree or
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  a jungle gym? You probably used your hands and
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  feet to pull yourself up, right? Now imagine if that jungle gym
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  was made of rock and stretched hundreds of feet into the sky.
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  That's what rock climbers do. Usually, climbers wear special
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  gear like harnesses, ropes, and helmets to keep them safe.
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  But Alex Honnold sometimes climbs without any of that
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  safety gear. This is called free solo
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  climbing. It's like doing the monkey bars,
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  but if you slip, there's no soft ground or parent to catch you.
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  That's why free solo climbing is super dangerous and takes years
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  of practice, focus, and skill. Now let's talk about why Alex
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  Honnold is so famous. One of the things that made him
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  a superstar in the climbing world was when he climbed a
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  giant Rockwall called El Capitan, which is in Yosemite
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  National Park in California. El Capitan is as tall as three
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  Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other.
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  That's almost 3000 feet high, about as tall as 200 giraffes
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  standing in a line, nose to tail.
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  People had climbed El Capitan before, but always with ropes
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  and safety gear. In 2017, Alex became the first
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  person ever to climb it all by himself with no ropes, in a
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  style called Free Solo. It was so amazing and scary that
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  people made a movie about it called Free Solo, which even won
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  an Oscar. Let's pause for a Dijuno moment.
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  Did you know that while climbing El Capitan, Alex used tiny
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  cracks and bumps in the rock, some no bigger than the width of
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  a pencil, to hold on and keep moving up?
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  Imagine balancing on the edge of a ruler with just your toes, or
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  gripping a Pebble with your fingertips.
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  That's the kind of strength and focus Alex needed for hours as
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  he climbed. But how did Alex become such a
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  super climber? Well, he started climbing when
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  he was just a kid about your age.
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  He grew up in California and loved climbing anything he
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  could, walls, door frames, playgrounds.
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  When he was 5, his dad took him to a climbing gym, which is like
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  a playground with walls you can climb indoors.
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  Alex loved it so much that he kept practicing, getting
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  stronger and braver every year. Just like practicing for a
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  sport, playing an instrument, or getting better at a video game,
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  Alex climbed almost every day to improve his skills.
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  Now you might be wondering, is Alex Honnold afraid when he
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  climbs? That's a great question.
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  Everybody feels scared sometimes, even the bravest
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  people. Alex says he does feel fear, but
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  he prepares so much before each climb that he feels confident
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  and ready before a big climb. He studies the wall, memorizes
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  every move, and even practices with ropes first.
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  It's like rehearsing a dance routine until you know every
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  step by heart. By the time he climbs without
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  ropes, he's practiced so much that he can do it smoothly,
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  almost like a choreographed dance.
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  Here's another Did you know moment.
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  Did you know that scientists actually studied Alex's brain to
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  see how he handles fear? They found that his brain
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  doesn't get as scared as most people's do in dangerous
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  situations. But it's not because he was born
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  fearless. It's because he's practiced and
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  trained his mind to stay calm. Just like a Jedi, Alex Honnold
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  is also known for being super focused when he's climbing.
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  He pays attention to every detail where he puts his
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  fingers, how he shifts his weight, even how he breathes.
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  It's like being in a video game where you have to make the right
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  move every time. One wrong step and the game
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  could be over, but Alex stays calm and keeps moving up, one
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  careful step at a time. Let's talk about what Alex wears
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  and uses when he climbs. Since he doesn't use ropes while
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  free soloing, he tries to keep things simple.
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  He wears special climbing shoes that are really tight and help
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  him grip tiny edges in the rock. He also has a chalk bag, which
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  is like a little pouch he wears around his waist.
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  The chalk keeps his hands dry so he doesn't slip.
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  And that's pretty much it. No fancy gadgets or superhero
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  gear, just shoes, chalk, and his own strength and skill.
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  Now you might be thinking, why would someone want to climb
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  without ropes? Isn't it super dangerous?
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  You're right, it is dangerous, and it's not something most
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  people should ever try. Alex says he climbs this way
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  because it makes him feel alive and focused, and he loves the
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  challenge. It's like solving the world's
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  hardest puzzle using your whole body and mind.
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  But even Alex says that safety is really important, and he only
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  frees solos after years of practice and preparation.
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  Alex doesn't just climb for himself, though.
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  He also cares a lot about the planet.
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  He started something called the Honnold Foundation, which helps
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  bring solar power to communities that don't have electricity.
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  He wants to help people and protect nature, especially the
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  beautiful places where he climbs.
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  So he's not just a climber, he's also a helper and a hero for the
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  environment. Here's another fun fact.
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  Alex Honnold is famous for living in a van.
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  That's right, he turned a van into his home so he could travel
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  to different climbing spots and live simply.
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  His van has a bed, a little kitchen, and space for his
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  climbing gear. It's like a mini house on
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  wheels. Alex says he likes living this
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  way because it keeps life simple and lets him focus on what he
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  loves most, climbing and exploring new places.
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  If you're wondering what Alex does when he's not climbing, he
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  likes reading, spending time with friends and family, and
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  camping outdoors. He's also traveled to places all
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  over the world to climb, like Morocco, Patagonia, and even
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  Antarctica. Everywhere he goes, he tries to
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  learn about the people and the environment.
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  Now let's do a quick recap of what we've learned today about
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  Alex Arnold 1st. Alex is a professional rock
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  climber who's famous for free solo climbing, climbing super
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  tall walls with no ropes or safety gear.
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  He became world famous when he climbed El Capitan in Yosemite
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  National Park, which is as tall as three Eiffel Towers.
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  Alex started climbing as a kid and practice for years to get
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  really good. He prepares for every climb by
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  studying the wall and practicing his moves, almost like learning
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  a dance. Scientists found that Alexis
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  Brain stays calm in scary situations because he's trained
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  himself to focus and stay relaxed.
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  He lives simply in a van, travels the world, and helps the
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  planet through his foundation. Most importantly, Alex teaches
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  us that with practice, focus, and preparation, you can do
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  amazing things. He also reminds us to be safe,
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  take care of our planet, and always try our best, whether
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  we're climbing a mountain, learning something new, or
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  helping others. That's all for today's Kick Cast
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  Daily Adventure. Thanks for listening and
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  exploring the world of Alex Honnell with us.
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  Remember, you don't have to climb mountains to do something
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  amazing. You can do it by being curious,
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  kind, and brave every day. Until next time, keep reaching
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  for new heights. Grab.
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  Your breakfast feelings, fine adventures waiting.
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  Don't be late. Today's.
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  The day we celebrate.