10 Questions with Osprey Athlete Ben Rueck
Ben Rueck on Gutless Wonder — 5.14b, Fault Wall, Puoux — Glenwood Springs, CO | photo by Dan Holz
1. What place inspires you?
The place that inspires me the most is Africa. It is the one continent that offers the most diversity in culture and climbing. Guaranteed if I travel to Africa I am going experience a life changing event.
2. What one item do you always have in your pack?
Climbing shoes
3. Who do you most admire?
This is a complicated question for me. I think that I admire a person that pursues their full potential– no matter how scared they are. To expand outside your comfort zone is something that is difficult and takes commitment. If I had to narrow it to a person that would be negating many influential people in my life that live this kind of way. So I admire those who try.
Ben Rueck on Gutless Wonder — 5.14b, Fault Wall, Puoux — Glenwood Springs, CO | photo by Dan Holz
4. What is your favorite food?
Mom’s homemade tacos.
5. Which Osprey pack are you using right now? What is your favorite feature about your pack?
Right now I am using the Variant. My favorite feature about the pack is that it can handle all of my climbing gear and still feel comfortable on long approaches.
6. Do you have a favorite quote? What is it?
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
“How bad do you want it?”– Robert Pizem
7. What’s the number one place you’d love to visit next?
I’d love to visit South Africa. It’s about time to go and see what all the walls are about!
8. What is your favorite nonprofit?
9. Is there an adventure, trip, or journey you’ve taken that you’d say was “life changing?” What was it and how did it change your life or outlook?
When I was in Malawi. It was my first real trip to Africa and seeing what life was all about. I’d never really experienced anything quite like it and it made me realize that the world is different than the movies. I’d never seen poverty and strife like that– it broke my heart. It taught me that the world is not necessarily fair, but that is not the world’s responsibility– it is how we deal with experiences. The responsibility lies with us to better ourselves and wondering why someone has it better or worse doesn’t really help.
10. If you could give any advice to yourself at 10 years old, what would you say?
“You only have so much space in your life for good and bad things– cherish the good for what they are but don’t dwell on them hoping to relive that experience. Learn from the bad and try not to repeat the same mistakes– but no matter what happens you’ll survive because that is who you are.”
See Ben sending “Gutless Wonder” at the Poux, Glenwood Springs, CO: [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2X4WHkJtlM[/youtube]
About Ben Rueck:
I am a professional rock climber focused on reaching my greatest potential in the discipline that I have chosen. Why do I climb? To put it simply, there is nothing else that inspires me to better myself quite like climbing does. It has this incredible ability to bolster and humble me as I push harder toward my goals. Climbing makes me earn every inch– and what one can achieve is simply amazing. In my pursuit to better myself I travel the world in search of inspiration from people, cultures, and rock.
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