Ryan Robinson

Professional Highliner & Adventure Athlete

Why have you partnered with The Woolmark Company?
Woolmark isn’t just a name, it’s a lifestyle. We live in a world where so many are trying to create synthetics to try and recreate what wool does naturally.  It's the answer to so many challenges faced, not only as an athlete, but as someone who cares about the environment, sustainability and performance. I’m proud to be on the Woolmark team and represent a brand and a lifestyle whose ethics and values guide them to creating such awesome products.

What do you love about Merino wool?
When I’m walking a highline, it’s an incredibly zen moment for me. My senses are heightened, and I try to minimise as many sensations as possible so that I can perform well. Because of this, I have a tendency of easily feeling claustrophobic, and can easily be taken from those zen moments due to something as simple as wearing the wrong clothing.

Merino wool literally eliminates any concerns of those negatives entering my zen space. Breathability is key; I need to feel the elements like wind breezing through the fabric, but also stay warm enough at my core. Merino wool doesn’t stick to my skin like other fabrics - which all give me the feeling of being trapped underneath the shirt. Being constricted gives me so much anxiety. It’s light and comfortable, warm and cool, the balance of opposites and the perfect fibre for high performance.

Why is Merino wool the perfect performance fibre for your area of expertise?When I’m walking a highline, it’s an incredibly zen moment for me. My senses are heightened, and I try to minimise as many sensations as possible so that I can perform well. Because of this, I have a tendency of easily feeling claustrophobic, and can easily be taken from those zen moments due to something as simple as wearing the wrong clothing.
Merino wool literally eliminates any concerns of those negatives entering my zen space. Breathability is key; I need to feel the elements like wind breezing through the fabric, but also stay warm enough at my core. Merino wool doesn’t stick to my skin like other fabrics - which all give me the feeling of being trapped underneath the shirt. Being constricted gives me so much anxiety. It’s light and comfortable, warm and cool, the balance of opposites and the perfect fibre for high performance.

Why is choosing natural so important?
How many reasons do I need? It seems like obsessive amounts of time and resources are spent attempting to create synthetics that simply don’t perform the way natural fibres do. It’s perplexing. What’s more is the incredible sustainability factor of wool, all while eliminating needless waste that comes with the production of synthetics. Why exhaust efforts and resources when nature creates the perfect fibre sustainably and efficiently for our exact needs?

What is your favorite exercise to perform in Merino wool?
I LOVE highlining in Merino wool, for one main reason: I forget I’m wearing it.  It doesn’t distract me from what I’m doing in the slightest.  Merino wool allows me to enjoy the experience I’m having up there balancing in the sky without having to worry that I’m overheating, or that I’m freezing, or that my shirt won’t dry, or that it smells bad (my arms are up nearly the entire time I walk the line!) It’s the perfect fibre for putting everything out of my mind except the job I’m there to do, no matter what environment I’m in.

What are your top tips for enjoying a plastic-free fitness regime?
Constantly being conscious of it is the big thing for me.  Actively seeking out the better alternatives to plastics, being mindful to continue on a better trajectory than the past. And leaving every place better than we find it!