Never ask Anna Davey to slow down – she’ll start climbing the walls! Fuelled by the threat of a global pandemic, the competitive international-level athlete showed she’s as nimble as a brushtail, scaling great heights in a precise pivot to build a successful business right here in her hometown.
It all began in 2019 when the Cockburn local and qualified Physical Trainer (PT) leap-frogged from success as a body builder to climbing.
She qualified via state and national competitions to represent Australia at the International Federation of Sport Climbing World Cup series and the World Championships in Japan, competing in Singapore, China and Germany before heading to Tokyo.
At the 2019 Tokyo World Championships – after coming to the sport late as a 25-year-old – Anna came 68th in the Women’s Open category, a beneficiary of a $1,000 City of Cockburn individual sponsorship, a small contribution to the $10,000 self-funded odyssey she had bravely embarked on.
To fulfil her dream of international competition, Anna quit her fledgling career as a lawyer. Today she is a dedicated strength and conditioning PT who has designed her own popular fitness app featuring hundreds of workouts and hours of video, with more than 106k staunch Instagram followers.
While the pandemic forced all climbing comps to cease, Anna used her time to build a unique business which can function successfully either online or in person.
Now a sponsored athlete, Anna has again set her sights on competition, but to scratch a personal improvement itch rather than international challenge, she’s preparing for Boulderfest 2022 in Brisbane this August.
“It’s my favourite ever competition and it’s been cancelled for a couple of years due to Covid,” Anna said.
“I’m feeling stronger than I’ve ever been before and have already won a couple of local comps this year which has driven me to go a bit further.”
The former Season 1 and 2 Australian Ninja Warrior contestant will defend her 2018 Boulderfest title, a burning personal goal she just can’t let go of.
“I lost in 2015, came 7th in 2016, 3rd in 2017 and 4th in 2019, so to be able to return in 2022 to defend that 2018 win after a pandemic is a pretty huge personal goal for me.”
Her dedication to her role as a PT has her working seven days a week with people from all walks of life, from athletes, dancers and gymnasts to hobbyists, including a great band of mums who just want to stay fit and mobile.
When not working online, she coaches out of Jandakot’s Urban Jungle Indoor Rock Climbing but also climbs at Iris Boulders in Canning Vale, Portside Boulders in O’Connor, Osborne Park and Willetton, and Boulder Hub in Wangara, the busy centres proof of the sport’s growing popularity in Perth.
“People love climbing because it’s not boring or repetitive, it’s like having a different puzzle to solve every time you climb,” Anna said.
“It’s a great work out for the mind and body and it’s really social with mates gathering for group climbs, just to hang out. It has so many benefits that are great for balancing out our busy lives.”
So, apart from indoor rock-climbing haunts, where is Anna’s favourite place to visit in Cockburn? Cockburn Gateway!
“I go there every day!” Anna said.
“It’s halfway between my house in Hammond Park and the centre where I coach so it’s easy for me to go and grab sushi or a bit of shopping. It’s got everything I need from Coles to Big W and Kmart. I love doing a little lap around there.”
Read about our other Quintessentially Cockburn inductees,
Marissa Verma,
Matt Willson,
Anna Davey,
Soa 'The Hulk' Palelei and
Belinda Cipriano.
LATEST NEWS: You told us you wanted more grassroots news about what’s happening in your backyard here in the City of Cockburn.
We've created a dedicated space on the City’s website where the community can access the Latest News about what’s going on across the City’s 23 suburbs and it’s proving really popular, with the webpage netting the third highest number of clicks via our Soundings enewsletter during June.
You can also read our media releases, responses to questions from media outlets, check out a weekly news wrap of some of the news stories impacting Cockburn, and learn about City events.
Plus in a fresh newsy segment called Quintessentially Cockburn, we’re preparing regular feature articles about some of our unique, iconic Cockburnalities and those fascinating movers and shakers making their names known in our City and further afield.
To stay connected with Cockburn, be sure to bookmark this helpful
Latest News page on the City’s website.