Alex Honnold Finds What He Used to be Taking note of Right thru His Document-Breaking Skyscraper Climb
Alex Honnold fastidiously curated a rock playlist for his climb of Taipei 101 that used to be both motivating and had excellent purposes.
Alex Honnold doesn’t play any free solo by ear.
And share of his preparation formulation having the honest music to support his story climbs—including his Jan. 24 (Jan. 25 native time) climb up Taipei 101, the 11th tallest building on this planet standing at 1,667 feet within the capital of Taiwan.
“It used to be mostly Tool,” Alex published to Vary of his playlist in an interview printed Jan. 24. “It’s a random playlist that I made, that I shared with manufacturing. I made it months within the past whereas I used to be utilizing. I’ve been coaching to it a bunch. Usually, rock music that I’ve most novel my entire life.”
However beyond liking the vogue, the revolutionary steel band’s music performed a lustrous feature, too—particularly when it came to navigating the skyscraper’s structure, including the geometric façade dubbed bamboo bins and the spiraling steel “dragons” adorning the corners.
“Portion of the appeal of music is that essentially it helps me with pacing,” Alex outlined. “Each bamboo box had been taking me about five to six and a half minutes. I simply know how prolonged the songs are. So it gives you a sense of whenever you’re going snappy or tiring.”
However, at many instances true thru the climb, “it all saved reducing out anyway,” Alex recounted, “and I couldn’t if truth be told hear and I used to be develop of relish, ‘Whatever. I’m simply doing my thing.’”
And in these moments the 40-twelve months-weak—who is the excellent particular person to fetch free soloed the three,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park—did lose his music, he had one more soundtrack backing his climb: the gasps and cheers from the assembled crowd.
As for whether the reactions were distracting, Alex mirrored, “I mediate it used to be essentially develop of motivating or enlivening. Right here is presumably moral for all athletes in mainstream sports actions, when folk play and the crowds are roaring.”
Truly, it gave the climber—who is dad to two children with accomplice Sanni McCandless—an trip to which he isn’t accustomed.
“As a climber, you never trip that,” he outlined. “I used to be relish, ‘No wonder when folk are taking half in within the Mountainous Bowl, it will smooth be colossal motivating.’ It used to be my first taste of one thing relish that.”
That isn’t the excellent comparison Alex made between his climb—which used to be streamed on Netflix—and legit leagues relish the NFL. For the Free Solo vital particular person, he knows his mid-six resolve paycheck for the climb doesn’t reasonably review to what some totally different athletes invent.
“In actuality, whenever you place it within the context of mainstream sports actions, it’s an embarrassingly cramped amount,” he instructed the Original York Instances in an interview printed Jan. 23. “You understand, Predominant League Baseball gamers gather relish $170 million contracts. Address, any individual you haven’t even heard of and that no-one cares about.”
Yet, for Alex, his climbs are never relating to the money—particularly no longer Taipei 101, which made historical past as made historical past because the excellent free solo climb of an urban building in historical past.
“If there used to be no TV program and the building gave me permission to head fetch the object,” he outlined, “I’d fetch the object because I do know I can, and it’d be amazing.”
For extra on athlete’s sky-high paychecks, read on.
Cristiano Ronaldo
For many sports actions stars, Cristiano Ronaldo's wage is objectives. In spite of everything, the Portuguese soccer participant steadily tops lists of top-paid athletes.
In June 2025, Ronaldo signed a two-twelve months extension with Al-Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia. And whereas the valid cost of the deal wasn't published, multiple retail outlets reported he got an annual wage of approximately $200 million when he first signed with the team in 2022 after leaving Manchester United in England.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi kicked off his time at Inter Miami CF with a extensive take a look at. The annualized moderate guaranteed compensation for the Argentine participant—who signed a two-and-a-half-twelve months contract with the David Beckham-owned team in 2023 after having previously performed for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona—is extra than $20.4 million, with a present annualized nefarious wage of $12 million, per the MLS Avid gamers Affiliation's 2025 wage files.
Alex Morgan
However, pay gaps smooth exist when comparing the salaries of male and female sports actions stars. Working example? There were no females on Forbes' 2025 checklist of top 50 top-paid athletes.
Alex Morgan—who retired from soccer in 2024 after taking half in her final game with the San Diego Wave—came in at No. 16 on the outlet's ranking of top-paid female athletes final twelve months. The newsletter estimated the World Cup champ earned $600,000 on-field and $7 million off-field (scoring some salvage endorsement deals) in 2024.
And whereas there were strides to bridge the pay gap (with U.S. Soccer changing into the predominant federation to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money for the nation's females's and men's national teams), there is smooth a prolonged formulation to head till it's a extra equitable taking half in field.
Caitlin Clark
After being the No. 1 overall risk within the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark signed a four-twelve months contract with the Indiana Fever that, according to The Athletic, used to be rate $338,056 and resulted in her receiving a $76,535 wage her rookie twelve months.
Many were insecure by the figures focused on the nefarious wage for NBA gamers is indispensable larger.
Caitlin additionally has endorsement deals, including one with Nike that The Athletic reported used to be rate $28 million.
Stephen Curry
Topping ESPN's checklist of NBA gamers' salaries for the 2025 to 2026 season is Stephen Curry, with the outlet reporting he raked in $59.6 million. However, the Golden Sigh Warriors weren't going to journey over their shot at having the guard play longer.
In August 2024, Steph signed a $62.6 million extension that retains him on the team thru 2027, his agent confirmed to CNBC.
LeBron James
Moreover dunking the final formulation to the monetary institution? LeBron James. Per ESPN's checklist, the Los Angeles Lakers forward made $52.6 million for the length of the 2025 to 2026 season.
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff is additionally serving up predominant moves.
The tennis champ reigned at the tip of Forbes' checklist of top paid female athletes in 2024 with an estimated $34.4 million in entire earnings that twelve months ($9.4 million on-court docket and $25 million off).
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka appears to be to be acing her ticket deals, too.
Forbes reported the Gigantic Slam title holder from Japan pulled in an estimated $12.9 million in 2024, and that $12 million of that sum came from earnings earned outdoors of her match winnings.
Simone Biles
Simone Biles obtained the gold in extra formulation than one.
Per Forbes' checklist, the Olympic gymnast earned an estimated $11.2 million in 2024 (with $11 million of that entire reportedly coming outdoors of her competition earnings).
Travis Kelce
Within the event you're attempting to accept as true with the blank location on how indispensable Travis Kelce makes taking half in for the Kansas City Chiefs, right here's the answer: The tight finish signed a two-twelve months deal in 2024 rate $34.25 million, according to NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
Patrick Mahomes
As for his teammate Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback scored a lovely penny when he signed a 10-twelve months contract with the Chiefs in 2020 rate $450 million, according to his agency Equity Sports.
Josh Allen
The Buffalo Funds weren't going to fumble the choice to retain Josh Allen on their team. In March 2025, the quarterback inked a six-twelve months deal that, per Rapoport, is rate $330 million (with $250 million guaranteed).
Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson touched down on a new team.
After previously taking half in for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, the quarterback signed a one-twelve months contract with the Original York Giants in March 2025 rate $10.5 million, per NFL Network Insiders' Rapoport, Pelissero and Mike Garafolo. However, the trio reported Russell might well maybe well receive up to $21 million on the deal thru incentives.
Aaron Rodgers
Stepping in because the Steelers' quarterback is Aaron Rodgers, who previously performed for the Original York Jets and the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
And whereas the QB shall be wearing No. 8, his paycheck reflects a indispensable larger quantity. The one-twelve months contract he signed in June 2025 is rate $13.65 million with $10 million guaranteed, per NFL Network Insiders Rapoport and Pelissero. However, the Insiders illustrious Aaron might well maybe well produce up to $19.5 million thru incentives.
Source credit : eonline.com
