Biography

I found climbing as a self-conscious high schooler. I was short, skinny and didn’t necessarily fit into the mold of the sports that I enjoyed. In Birmingham at the time, there were no climbing gyms; just an outdoor crag dubbed “The Boulder Fields”. One afternoon, I followed a friend out to explore the boulders, and I quickly realized that this is what I was built for. Shortly after, I became aquatinted with a crew of guys who had been climbing awhile longer than me, yet they immediately brought me in as the “baby” of the group. Without realizing it at the time, my perception of this sport was forming into something that was not only a physical release, but also an amazing lifestyle. All of the sudden I was part of a tight knit crew who loved to laugh, try hard, and motivate one another. Every send was a joint effort; when one of us succeeded, we all did. So as I progress in my climbing, I am still tied to that same mentality. I find the social aspect just as important as the sport itself. I’m sure that if I’d grown in an environment full of climbing gyms, I’d probably be a hell of a lot stronger. But I’m happy with the way that it happened.

ATHLETE MENTORSHIP INITATIVE