Maya Madere ticks Chocolate Jesus (8B)

Maya Madere, who started out her IFSC season by being #21 in Lead in China, has sent Chocolate Jesus (8B) in Wild Basin. ”My first of the grade and an absolute stunner of a boulder. The small box crux suited me very well. Properly utilizing the large but deceptively slippery right foot during the lip encounter was very tricky for me.”

Can you tell us more about sending your first 8B?
I owe much credit for this send to my dear friend Helen Gillett, who brought me to Chocolate Jesus and encouraged me to try despite my protestations (I had been intimidated by the grade and avoided trying this boulder for some time). To my surprise it actually suited me very well. I did the leftward shoulder move usually considered to be the crux fairly quickly, but struggled mightily with the lip encounter. Tragically, that very session Helen popped a pulley on a devastatingly close burn with both hands over the lip. I vowed to return and send in her honor, which I successfully did after 2 more sessions.