Senior · Development
Biography
Madison Richardson (b. July 27, 2001, Kitchener, Ontario) is Canada’s top-ranked female bouldering athlete, known for her powerful climbing style and consistent performances on the international stage. Since joining Team Canada in 2016, she has become a fixture on the IFSC World Cup team.
Madison discovered climbing in 2011 at Grand River Rocks in Kitchener, Ontario, where an after-school hobby quickly grew into a deep competitive drive. She earned a spot on Team Canada in 2016 and soon after committed fully to bouldering, drawn to its power and problem-solving intensity. After breaking into her first Open National Championship final in 2018, she has since established herself as one of the country’s most consistent and decorated athletes nationally and internationally.
Achievements
- 9 IFSC World Cup Semi-Final appearances
- 12 Top-25 IFSC World Cup finishes
- 3 Top-10 IFSC World Cup finishes
- #1 Ranked Canadian Female Bouldering Athlete (2022–Present)
- 7th Place – IFSC Boulder World Cup, Keqiao, China (2024)
- 8th Place – IFSC Boulder World Cup, Salt Lake City, USA (2023)
- 9th Place – IFSC Boulder World Cup, Meiringen, Switzerland (2022)
- 11th Place - IFSC Boulder World Cup, Curitiba, Brazil (2025)
- World Cup Rank (2024) - 18th
- World Cup Rank (2025) - 23rd
- 1st Place – North American Cup Series, Montreal, Canada (2025)
- 27 World Cup starts
In their words
How did you get into climbing?
My step-dad was the first to find climbing. Grand River Rocks opened in Kitchener, Ontario, just 15 minutes away. He got hooked instantly, but it took him months to bring any other family members out. Finally I decided to join him and the rest is history! I joined a recreational group at the gym and climbed for three years before I joined the competitive team. My first season was in 2014, and I haven’t stopped since.
What do you enjoy doing outside of training?
Though not completely outside of training, my husband and I run Richardsons Climbing YouTube channel, where we teach climbing technique and make training/adventure related content. I really enjoy the process of coming up with ideas and turning a bunch of clips into an entertaining video for our subscribers.
Outside of that, I’m a huge foodie. I love cooking, baking, and seeking out the highest-rated restaurants and bakeries when I travel.
I also collect miniatures! I spent a few months building a tiny house for my living room and I love finding new details to add to it.
What drives you to compete and excel in climbing?
I love the cyclical process of training and competing. In the fall, I have a long off-season ahead of me to push myself and make gains for the comp season ahead of me. I especially love the feeling of a clean slate after the season, where I can take everything I’ve learned and put it into my new program for the next season. And of course, I look forward to that IFSC Boulder World Cup season every single day.
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