Looking down at the cheering crowd, Michael Dowhaniuk basked in the warm March sun. He had just climbed over a 12-foot wall on his first attempt. A couple minutes later, Dominic Janus followed him over.

Our drive to challenge ourselves makes us chase activities that push our physical limits in unique ways — hence, the birth of Storm the Wall.

Every March, thousands of UBC students gather to participate in Storm the Wall and many more gather around the Nest to cheer them on. The annual student tradition requires students swim, bike and run before summiting a 12-foot wall. While the course is mostly attempted in teams, a handful of students decide to attempt the course completely by themselves, aiming to achieve the coveted title of Iron Legend.

Last year, UBC crowned Iron Legends for the first time in four years with both Janus and Dowhaniuk conquering the course alone.

Despite coming from different backgrounds, Janus, a master’s student studying geese in the Faculty of Forestry, and Dowhaniuk, a then civil engineering student and starting outside hitter for the UBC men’s volleyball team, shared a common desire to test themselves against the wall.

In the past, both attempted the race solo, but only Dowhaniuk succeeded.

In 2019, Janus scraped his fingers along the top of the wall during a practice session, planting the seed of possibility in his mind.

“I spent an hour just throwing myself at the wall trying to do it by myself and got super close, like I was able to touch the top but I needed another inch or two to be able to hold on,” said Janus.

In 2023, he decided to try again.

“I thought last spring would be my last spring as a student. And I was like, might as well give it another go considering I was really close four years ago and was feeling a little bit in better shape.”

For Dowhaniuk, the thrill of conquering the challenge again appealed to his competitive nature.

“[Iron Legend] is the hardest difficulty given for the event,” said Dowhaniuk. “I want to push myself and test my limits and boundaries. I knew that if I did anything less than the hardest, then I wouldn’t be completely satisfied.”

Both participants approached the event as a personal challenge, seeking to prove their own abilities to themselves. But there is some psychology behind their shared decision to take a second shot at the wall.

Dr. Jeff Sauvé, a UBC kinesiology PhD graduate and former instructor of PSYC 311, psychology of sport, broke it down in an interview, explaining how humans continuously learn from the past.

According to Sauvé, self-efficacy, or a belief in one’s capabilities to execute a goal, is based on previous accomplishments. The risks and rewards of previous experiences can “propel [an athlete] to put forth a higher level of effort moving forward.”

“You’ve learned how to persist in the face of failure and you will continue to problem solve when encountering those failures,” he said.

Even though Storm the Wall was not something Janus was “super passionate about,” completing an unfinished challenge from his past and stepping out of his routine had a certain allure and led him to success in the race.

“I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it because I really thought I could,” he said.

Dowhaniuk said he was aware that climbing the wall demanded a large mental effort alongside physical ability and approached the challenge fully believing in himself. He credited his background in volleyball for drilling in him the importance of “the mental side of things.”

“If I had any doubt in myself, I definitely wouldn’t have performed as well,” Dowhaniuk said. “Once I got to the wall, I had no doubt in my mind that I was going to make it over, which definitely helps in that first attempt.”

A huge draw to Storm the Wall is that its physical demands and challenges allow participants to fulfill their basic psychological needs for competence.

Sauvé explained how competence is important for us to feel effective at achieving a desired outcome.

“Sport provides so many opportunities for an individual to be motivated to work hard, and to achieve those outcomes,” said Sauvé.

Both recently crowned Iron Legends lead active daily lifestyles. Janus said he enjoys lacing up for a casual game of basketball and hitting a couple dunks. Dowhaniuk said he also took up cycling in the last couple years, recently completing the Gran Forno ride from Vancouver to Whistler.

For an elite-level athlete like Dowhaniuk, Storm the Wall and cycling provide ways to challenge himself in ways volleyball does not, creating a heightened sense of gratification.

“The hardest part for me when taking part in these events was the endurance side of things and having to sustain energy for hours at a time,” he said. “It was very difficult, but I accepted that challenge and tried to welcome it with grace even though it hurt a lot.”

Sauvé said it’s common for high-performing athletes to try other sports, adding that “in many ways that can be really helpful and healthy, especially in circumstances where you are measuring yourself against yourself.”

Janus said he expects to give Storm the Wall another go this year, and perhaps even a regular triathlon in the near future, as these activities bring a renewed sense of excitement to his life.

“I’ll think of some way to have more fun with [Storm the Wall] this year. I don’t know. Maybe put a cape on or something.”