Alannah became interested in climbing at the age of 6 through her godparents, who just happen to be Sean McColl’s parents!  Since then, she was hooked on the sport and won her first National championships at the age of 12.  Climbing has been her passion since, even while pursuing and finishing her engineering degree in Mechatronics.

Her interest in the international circuit was ignited once again by a study abroad opportunity in Switzerland where she felt she learned how to really compete.  She then spent the next year attending all the World Cups and became the first Canadian woman to make it to finals at a World Cup in 2017.  Two years later she posted her best World Championship result when she finished seventh in bouldering.

Yip graduated in 2018 with her engineering degree in mechatronics after taking a lighter course load to accommodate competing and training. Reunited with Wilson as her coach, she set a new, invigorating goal: the Olympic Games. When the qualification process opened up shortly after, she funneled her energy and focus into climbing full-time.

“It was always my path to go to school for engineering,” she says. “This climbing thing sort of became my career by surprise.”

Her pursuit for an Olympic berth was also not an easy path.  She was not successful in the first two Olympic qualification events in Europe so her final attempt was at the Pan Am Games in Los Angeles.  Alannah knew that she had to win the competition in order to secure her Olympic spot.  In the end, her talent, mental grit and mindset gave her the ability to win the competition and receive her spot to compete at the Olympics. “We have to find this really cool balance between being prepared and planning, but also being adaptable and being okay with not knowing.”

Alannah finished with an overall 14^th place finish at the Olympics in Tokyo.  Her perseverance, calm demeanor and quiet confidence will hopefully bring her continued success as she begins the path towards Paris 2024!