The Destruction of College Park's Rockwall

In June 2020, I met with city officials in College Park, GA about their desire to bring rock climbing to their city. Many of them had heard of my story and my newly founded nonprofit organization, Climbing for Change (C4C), and believed I could inspire their community and offer new opportunities for College Park. Their enthusiasm motivated me to partner with 1Climb to secure a $100,000 donation from Adidas; this donation would go towards building a climbing wall in the Tracy Wyatt Recreation Center (TWRC) in the heart of College Park. Adidas also provided an assortment of rental climbing shoes and harnesses for community use. Once we brought this idea to Stone Summit Climbing, a major climbing gym chain in the Atlanta area, they were eager to partner with C4C and establish contracts to help cover wall maintenance costs and assist with community programming. This partnership included covering the $3,000 annual service fee for the auto-belays, routinely resetting the climbing wall, providing assistance with organizing clinics and a climbing club, in addition to providing reduced or free passes to climb at their commercial facilities. Despite Covid delays and continued social distancing protocols, our collective work and dedication helped this project move faster than expected; by Fall 2021, the climbing wall was open, with the first year having limited public use for health/safety reasons. With the help of our partners, we were able to donate this wall and create this program at no cost to the city; the only recurring cost moving forward being a $34 annual bill for insurance.

Between 2021 and 2024, I stayed in communication with the TWRC director to assist with programming and maintaining the wall. During this period, we only heard glowing responses from the officials and the community. In 2.5 years, the wall had been visited 15,000 times and was used as a resource for camps, classes, and holiday events. Based on the comradery and appreciation we’ve received from the city, it is still unclear why the city council suddenly made a decision that will likely lead to the removal of this wall.

Below is a timeline of events that have led us to this point:

• Late Febrary, Councilwoman Arnold toured the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Center.

• During the March 4th city council meeting, Arnold was very complimentary of the TWRC and it’s staff.

• On April 5th, I was cc'ed on an email from Michelle Johnson (the director of Parks and Recreation) requesting a quote and guidance for removing and possibly relocating the wall to a different location.  I responded and asked why and whether there were any safety issues.  Ms. Johnson responded and said she would defer to the city manager, Dr. Adediran, for the reason for the request.

• On April 8th, the wall manufacturer, Eldorado Climbing, responded and advised against removing and trying to relocate the wall to a different location. This warning was "due to the semi-destructive nature of the removal process and the engineering/design work that would be required to achieve this". They insisted that the cost of building a new wall would be a comparable and preferred option.  I later spoke with the company to understand their concerns and costs.

• On April 9th, at 10:21am, I wrote an email to Dr. Adediran and cc'ed the mayor and the entire city council.  I asked about the reason for removing the wall and inquired about whether there were safety concerns.  I also reiterated the reasons why I originally donated the wall and the potential impact of exposing kids to this new sport. Dr. Adediran later responded and said that no safety issues or injuries had been reported.  He did not have an answer regarding the reason for the removal of the wall.

• On April 9th at 2:47pm, Councilwoman Arnold sent an email to the city manager, Dr. Adediran, asking him to "Please inform your staff that the removal of the rock climbing wall is not up for debate or discussion.  Please have it removed immediately. " 

• On April 9th at 3:05 pm, Dr. Adediran sent an email to Michelle Johnson telling her that "the instructions to you was to contact the company and remove wall."

• On April 10th, councilwoman Arnold sent an email to Michelle Johnson (the director of Parks and Recreation) and asked her for a lot of data regarding the rockwall.

• On April 11th, Michelle Johnson sent an email responding to Arnold’s questions.

• Residents were quickly made aware of the city's intent to remove the climbing wall and started a website, collegeparkrocks.com, to bring awareness to the residents’ concerns about losing their rock wall.  There has since been overwhelming support for preserving the rock wall.

• On April 15th, I attended College Park’s city council meeting and expressed my concern about the city discarding our $100,000 donation without providing any rationale. I once again asked for answers to why this decision was happening; none of the council members made any comments or responses regarding the removal of the rock wall.

• The issue of the rock wall removal was eventually added to the May 6th agenda for the city council meeting.

• On May 5th, I personally called and spoke with councilman Gay and councilwoman McKenzie about the next day’s vote on the wall.  McKenzie told me the residents of her ward had expressed overwhelming support for keeping it intact.  Both assured me that they were in support of keeping and maintaining the rock wall.  They both also acknowledged they have not been consulted or given any reasons for the decision to remove the wall.

• On May 6, at the city council meeting, Arnold gave a statement regarding her reasons for wanting to remove the wall.  She stated that:

• No revenue had been generated by the climbing wall.

•  The staff were not professionally certified to operate the wall (i.e., clip participants into auto belays)

• She hadn’t received the requested waivers for all participants (for the past 12 months).

• The recreation center staff reported safety concerns.

• The wall was donated to provide free access to rock climbing.

• There is no professional certification for staff to operate an auto belay.

• The director indicated that her reason for not having waivers was because she didn't know how to download them with redacted personal information.  She is concerned about protecting personal information from public records (especially for minors).

• The mayor and director have confirmed that NO injuries or safety reports have been recorded regarding the rock wall.

• It should be noted, that the reasons that Arnold stated for wanting the wall to ber removed, were based upon the email that she received on April 11th, in response to questions that she asked in the April 10th email (seethe respective dates above for the exact emails). Therefore, based upon the emails that have been provided in this timeline, she gave the order to remove the wall first, then asked questions to justify her decision later.

• After a heated discussion about the climbing wall, Council members Arnold, Carn, and Gay voted to give the manager $60,000 to investigate the climbing wall and ultimately decide its fate; McKenzie said she was ill and left chambers right before the vote.  In light of the city manager's email on April 9th about removing the wall, before any official investigation, the fate of the climbing wall is almost certain.

Reflecting upon everything that has occurred within the last 5 weeks, it is clear the decision to remove the rock wall has nothing to do with the wishes or best interest of the residents in College Park.  Even if the things stated by councilwoman Arnold were true, it is incomprehensible for city council to approve $60,000 to remove a $100,000 donation for the kids of College Park- operating virtually free of cost to the city- rather than invest a few dollars to improve easily fixable operation concerns. Unfortunately, the decisions regarding the climbing wall are one of several high-profile disputes between the residents of College Park, the city manager, and councilmembers.  Questions about transparency and the lack of proper checks and balances for their city council have led to an ongoing review from the state Attorney General.

My heart is with the people of College Park, GA.  Regardless of the future of the rock wall, I don't regret our original decision to partner with 1Climb to bring rock climbing to College Park.  The residents and kids have appreciated our efforts and are devastated by the actions of their city leaders. We are proud of the smiles we have brought to their community and plan to continue dedicating ourselves to providing positive outlets and opportunities for kids nationwide.

If you have a story about how climbing has changed your life and/or the positive impact that this sport can have on kids, please contact College Park's city manager, Dr. Adediran (470-714-0828 ; emmanuel.adediran@collegeparkga.com ) The final decision is now in his hands.

2022 BLK Out Festival Recap

The Inaugural Blk Out Fest was held from November 4 - 6th, a festival designed to celebrate, educate, and uplift black people in rock climbing and outdoor recreation. The weekend was packed with events, each focusing on different aspects of improving participant’s mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing through the sport of climbing. The Blk Out Fest called on prominent members of the community to lead clinics providing valuable lessons through a unique BIPOC lens, including a healing circle, photography classes, and outdoor bouldering lessons teaching climbing skills, sustainability tips, and more.

The atmosphere of the festival buzzed with excitement and comradery, with community led karaoke sessions, delicious food from local black owned businesses, and film screenings from talented members of the community keeping the good vibes rolling.  With C4C Clifbar Leadership Grant recipient Tiffany Blount at the helm of this festival, the Blk Out Fest is on its way to becoming a staple event that provides a platform for the black community to shine bright in the outdoors.

Climbing for Change proudly sponsored the Blk Out Fest through the Clifbar Leadership Grant, an opportunity dedicated to supporting BIPOC leaders in the outdoor industry.

Event Photographer: Kayln Jacobs

Video by: L. Renee

JUNETEENTH: CELEBRATION VS. EXPLOITATION

So, Juneteenth is coming up this weekend…and we've got a lot to talk about.  

A lot of Juneteenth themed products and promotions have gone viral lately and have been met with outrage, most notably this Juneteenth themed ice cream pint sold at Walmart. I've had a few of my friends ask me why everyone's so upset. "Shouldn't we be happy that this holiday is finally being acknowledged and introduced to the general public?" "Isn't representation and mainstream recognition a GOOD thing?"   My answer … yes, celebrating Juneteenth as a federal holiday while recognizing and respecting the significance of this day is a step in the right direction. However, companies and mainstream media rarely manage to accomplish this without looking exploitative and tone deaf.  This holiday represents Black liberation; therefore, the focus of celebrations should be nested in this concept.  When the focus is big signs and an influx of commercialization, significant components of Black history and our continued fight towards equality gets watered down or downplayed. Additionally, our country has established a precedent of using our celebrations of historical progress as an excuse to not address the systemic issues the Black community still faces today.  To understand the current opposition to Juneteenth “celebrations”, it is important to understand the historical lens that has shaped our current skepticism.

40 years ago, the Black community was fighting to commemorate another important milestone in the fight for Black liberation: Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. Over 6 million Americans had signed a petition to make January 17th Martin Luther King Day, a movement that was opposed strongly by most members of Congress and the sitting president Ronald Reagan. Senators publicly spat on the bill proposing to honor a man they saw as a “violent tyrant that tore this country apart”. However, after 2 decades of lobbying, a famous Stevie Wonder song commemorating King’s birthday, and a smear campaign accusing King of being a communist, the holiday was signed into law. The impact and backlash were immediate. In opposition to this federal holiday, states created a new holiday, Robert E. Lee Day, to celebrate the confederate general on the same day as MLK Day.

Despite the opposition, Black Americans were excited to embrace a national holiday celebrating one of our leaders.  Every year, we see commercial signs and celebrations honoring Dr. King.  At the same time, we have also seen coordinated attempts to completely re-shape historical facts that fueled the civil rights movement that Martin Luther King helped lead.  At this very moment, debates and lawsuits are raging around the country about banning certain textbooks and creating new ones, significantly minimizing the impact of slavery and resulting systemic plights Black Americans still face today.

In addition to re-writing U.S. history, textbooks and documentaries have completely revised King’s image, cherry-picking elements of his identity and movement that are considered more acceptable to our country’s leaders.  Today, Martin Luther King is used as an example of what Black protests “should look like”. In other words, “if he could accomplish what he did without hostile resistance, why can’t you?”.  King masterfully used passive resistance as one method of enacting change; however, he also used stronger, more assertive language that urged direct action to bring about change.   He made it clear that rebellions have a place in America. Multiple leaders, initiatives, and approaches (both peaceful and hostile) took place which collectively led to us gaining crucial civil rights.  However, King’s “peace-only” image is the one that is vividly highlighted and often used to gaslight communities fighting for change today.

So, when it comes to MLK Day, yes, Black Americans are pleased to have a holiday honoring one of our iconic leaders. However, it’s impossible to ignore how his image over time has been tokenized and weaponized against our own people.  How can this country genuinely honor a man that gave his life to help us gain basic human rights, while minimizing the incredible hurdles we have fought to overcome? These two actions are contradictory.  When honoring Dr. King, we should acknowledge who he was, the incredible coalition of efforts that led to Black Americans gaining fundamental freedoms, and the continued goal to push America to treat all citizens equally.  An MLK “celebration” that lacks these components is simply a performative action that lacks substance.

Up until the pandemic, Juneteenth was celebrated as a niche holiday amongst Black Americans. People that celebrated the holiday understood the emotional gravity of celebrating the official end of slavery.  We understood that on July 4, 1776, our ancestors were not free.  We understood that although the Emancipation Proclamation technically freed some slaves on January 1, 1863, without the existence of 24-hour news stations and social media, many were unaware that slavery had been outlawed.  We understood that June 19, 1865, was a significant turning point in African American history and marked the beginning of a long fight towards equality in the U.S. – a fight we are still waging today.

With Juneteenth now recognized as a federal holiday, many are skeptical and hesitant to accept this olive branch. Is this another performative action to appease the Black community without coupling the symbolism with actions that push the needle forward? Who will benefit from this holiday, the Black community, or corporate entities? Many people reading this blog post are probably wondering if there IS a respectful way for businesses to commemorate Juneteenth. The answer is yes … however, corporate entities like Walmart using this holiday to make a profit while doing little to truly honor and respect the significance of this day is definitely not the way to do so. 

The meaning of Juneteenth is rooted in freedom and black liberation.  Thus, institutions honoring Juneteenth can start by donating to Black causes and/or openly addressing issues impacting Black people in their institutional structure.  Businesses that want to display products promoting Juneteenth should partner with Black-owned businesses to sell Juneteenth products or donate a pre-announced percentage of profits to causes that empower the Black community. If individuals want to join in on the festivities, do so by participating in actions that help and directly benefits our community - support Black businesses, speak out on issues effecting Black people, and/or support Black causes ...

If we are going to celebrate a holiday that signifies a step towards the goal of Black prosperity in America, we should do so by first understanding the significance of this day, and then honor it with actions that help to uplift our community.

PULSE CHECK: On DEI in Rock Climbing & the Outdoor Industry

It has been 10 months since the death of George Floyd and the flurry of commitments from companies to make the outdoor industry more diverse and inclusive. Since then, our country has experienced a racial awakening that has pervaded through every social, political, and economic aspect of our lives. What are we doing to live up to these commitments? What can we be doing different or better?

On April 2, Climbing for Change founder Kai Lightner, In Solidarity Project founder Teresa Baker, Olympic hopeful Kyra Condie, the director of the American Alpine Club's Climb United Initiative Cody Kaemmerlen, and Black Diamond Partnership and Events Manager Equipment Jess Powell came together for a round table discussion. During this discussion they provided unique perspectives and advice, as they discussed the current status of D.E.I work in the outdoor industry and how we can make this work more impactful.

WE NEED MORE THAN HASHTAGS

The tragedies of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor have been circulating lately and are causing a lot of uproar across media outlets. Unfortunately, I’ve seen this pattern before … We become outraged, create hashtags, protest (COVID-19 has stifled those efforts) and eventually the attention from major news outlets dies down without any legislation passed to prevent these tragedies from happening again.  Every time these news stories come up, I feel we are never all on the same page. While the African American community highlights these cases as more examples of the systemic injustices in our community, the majority of the country seems to treat them as isolated events. However, these cases are not rare. Most African Americans can account instances like these in our own communities and can recall personal experiences of racial profiling and injustices.

My first direct encounter with this came when I was 12 years old.  My mom and I were traveling to Washington D.C and decided to stop at a gas station to refuel and take a bathroom break. I went inside and walked past the candy isle, admittedly wide eyed since I was not allowed to eat much candy. When I finished using the bathroom and was about to head out the door, the store clerk grabbed my arm and yelled at me and asked if I had stolen anything. I was startled, confused, and scared.  I shook my head and told him no.  However, instead of letting me leave, he blocked the door, lifted my shirt, patted me down, and checked all my pockets - searching for stolen items. I will never forget the feeling of fear and helplessness as tears ran down my face.  When he didn’t find anything, he told me I could go.  I ran to the car panic-stricken and crying, and pleaded with my mom to leave immediately. She took one look at my face, which was noticeably shaken, and asked me what happened.  I asked her to drive away first, then I would explain … but she refused.  After I recounted the incident, my mother closed her eyes and sat quietly, then tearfully looked at me and said she was relieved I didn’t fight back. She understood the reality of the situation: it was late at night and no one else was in the store or parking lot.   If anything had happened to me, it was our word against theirs; this historically never ends in our favor.  No 12-year-old should ever have to contemplate whether defending themselves is worth losing their life.  There was no good option… we ended up driving away.

The fear of being racially profiled has affected almost every aspect of my life. As a kid, my mother never allowed me to play with toy guns because she knew how different my actions could be perceived, long before the case of Tamir Rice. I always keep a copy of my registration in my wallet in case I get stopped by the police because of cases like Philando Castile. When running long distances, I never forget to bring my ID in case I’m stopped by the police or something happens to me and I need to be identified - like Ahmaud Arbury.  And even if someone assaults me, I am hesitant to defend myself out of fear of becoming the next Trayvon Martin.

Me, Age 12 (Amanda Berg-Raul Rubiera)

Tamir Rice Age 12

Trayvon Martin, Age 17

I have always been taught to watch what I say, how I say it, and who I say it to, to minimize my likelihood of becoming the next hashtag. I have accepted that even if my actions mirror my peers, society will often perceive them differently because of the color of my skin.  It is hard to understand the daily apprehensions and fears that African Americans experience, unless you walk in our shoes. 

If you find yourself asking, “what can I do to help?”, it’s important to understand that systemic injustices started way before the hashtags were created, and persist long after the headlines fade away. Thus, focusing your outrage on isolated events does not resolve the root of the problem. Evoking long term change requires constant advocacy.  This means:

• Listening and trying to understand perspectives, opposed to dismissing and devaluing different experiences.

• Accepting that my reality and your perception might be vastly different.

• Speaking up when you see injustices, instead of simply being a bystander.  Silence is often interpreted as approval.

• Understanding your position in society and using your privilege to help elevate minority voices who often go unheard.

• Advocating for legislation that helps to mitigate racial biases and inequities.

This also means realizing that the movement should not stop once the latest trial ends and a verdict has been reached.  The goal should be to stop the next hashtag from occurring. 

#AhmaudArbery #BreonnaTaylor #PhilandoCastile #SeanReed #FreddieGray #SamDubose #PhilandoCastile #TerenceCrutcher #AltonSterling #JamarClark #JeremyMcDole #WilliamChapmanII #WalterScott #EricHarris #TamirRice #AkaiGurley #MichaelBrown #SandraBland #EricGarder #JordanEdwards

Reflections on My Rock Climbing Journey

I was recently asked how I felt about kids competitively rock climbing and the impact it can have on them. Although I gave an answer I still stand by, the question allowed me to reflect on my own experiences as a youth climber and the benefits and struggles I’ve had in my sport. Climbing has given me moments in my life I will never forget, like being the first American in 25 years to win a world title in lead climbing and standing on top of the podium in my first year of eligibility at Adult Nationals. I will also never forget staring at the scale before every competition, praying that the number it read was low enough for me to feel confident in my ability to climb my best. I will never forget rationing out the amount of calories I felt I could afford to eat before practice so I didn’t feel too fat to climb. I will also never forget the moment my doctor told me I was a fraction away from liver failure and I needed to eat more if I wanted to survive.

Photo by: Karlo X (@kx0101 on Instagram)

When I first started climbing, I knew that I was different. Not just because I was the only black face in the room, but I was also a lot bigger than the other kids my age. I was taller, my hands and feet were bigger, and my stomach poked out a little farther than everyone else’s. My coaches and peers would make jokes about it and I was always told the best climbers in the world had to be small.  I never took what they said to heart, but it instilled in me a message that I always held on to; because I’m so tall, the only way I could be the best is if I was skinny like the other kids. As I got older and was able to compete in bigger competitions, my ambitions got bigger, and so did my desire to lose weight. As I got smaller and smaller, the people around me applauded my efforts, commenting on my dedication to the sport and my rapid improvements. These affirmations made me feel good, but subconsciously cemented a mindset that I was too young to understand. As an impressionable kid, I had a hard time distinguishing between my athletic performance and my self-worth. By dedicating myself to losing weight, I was making the people around me happy and strengthening the link between my weight and my happiness.

Eventually things went too far. Standing at 5’8 and 95lbs, my climbing was better than it ever had been before. People would comment on my weight, but when I looked in the mirror I never saw what they did. I was running 8-10 miles a day, taking laxatives to get rid of excess weight and eating less to meet my weekly goals. I knew in my head that the only reason I was succeeding was because the number on the scale told me I deserved to. One day after school, my mom picked me up and told me we weren’t going home. When I asked her where we were going, she refused to tell me until we arrived at the doctor.   Although I had been telling her I was fine and everything was OK, she didn’t believe me and was concerned about my health. The doctor told us I was severely underweight for my height and my liver was close to failure. They also told me the reason I had been having so much acid reflux is because I had weakened the sphincter muscles in my stomach to the point where they didn’t work properly anymore. Although this was a major wakeup call for me, it didn’t end my desire to lose weight. Instead, it let me know I had to change my methods rather than my intentions.

As puberty came along, I got taller, my muscles got bigger and the number on the scale continued to go up. For most guys this is great news, but for me it felt like failure. Failure to hold up my end of the bargain. Failure to be dedicated enough to make it stop. Failure to make the people around me happy. I remember crying before competitions because I felt that if I couldn’t do something as simple as eat less, how I could feel confident enough to compete against the world’s best? This feeling of failure followed me for years, and my mental health struggled along with it. It has taken me years to overcome this feeling and to see climbing as more than a world of cardio and portion control. I have never been the kind of person who felt comfortable sharing my struggles, but looking back on this period of my life, I hate that I never felt comfortable talking to anyone about what I was going through. I felt by telling them I wasn’t ok, I would disappoint them even more than I thought I already had. But I wasn’t alone. I had friends who loved and cared about me and a mother stronger than anyone I know.

I didn’t write this to discourage parents from entering their kids in to sports at a young age. Contrarily, in a world where issues such as gun violence and childhood obesity are becoming more normalized, I think climbing is a wonderful opportunity for kids to find a productive outlet and foster their passions. However, I think it is important to provide a space where kids are able to push themselves to find their own paths instead of conforming to a vision that doesn’t fit them.  Allow your kids to follow their dreams, but make sure they are doing it in a way that builds them up.  Pay attention to what they do, and not just what they say.  In my case, that’s what saved my life.

Success comes in many shapes and sizes, and allowing kids to naturally progress will lead to healthy, well adapted adults who have learned valuable life lessons at a young age and can apply them accordingly.

Kai Lightner’s Journey to The Top →

Click here to read blog.

World Youth Championships 2016: A Rocky Road

Winning 2 silver medals in lead and bouldering at the 2016 World Youth Championship (WYC) was an incredible experience for me!  It wasn't my success at the event that fueled my emotions, but the journey that lead me to standing on the podium- twice.    My road back to podium at a WYC event has been a pretty rocky one, and so many things went through my mind as I stood there glancing out at cheering friends from all around the world and my US Team family.  Here is a little background information:

In early 2015, an unexpected emergency completely changed my world, and priorities.  Taking care of my mom came 1st, myself 2nd, school 3rd, and climbing/training slipped to 4th (after sharing the 1st place position for most of my life).  Surprisingly, I was OK with that.  I felt very little stress when I climbed throughout the year, regardless of the event.  I think I was just appreciative to have all of the things that I loved most still in my life.  I ended 2015 eager to start back training hard and focusing on my climbing goals.

Hanging out with adidas teammates Nina Williams and Kevin Jorgeson

Three months into 2016, it became painfully obvious that something was seriously wrong with my back.  I was forced to stop climbing.  After weeks of doctor appointments, medical exams, and misdiagnoses, I was told that it was highly unlikely that I would ever be able to return to competition climbing.  That was one of the worst days of my life.......  For several weeks we searched for definitive answers and finally uncovered the root cause of my pain- 2 fractures in my spine in hard to find locations.   The verdict, no upper body activity for 3 months.  As horrible as this news may have sounded, I was told that if I was extremely cautious, there was a good chance that I would make a full recovery.

Tom Frost Documentary- with legendary climber Doug Robinson

I had a team of trainers and medical personnel at home and in Victoria BC (Pacific Institute of Sports Excellence, Parkway Physiotherapy and Performance Centre, and The Boulders climbing gym) who worked with me to develop a plan to slowly re-introduce climbing and training into my regime over a 3-month period.  The plan was for me to resume my full training program at the beginning of October.  Climbing in small doses with so many constraints was tough; nonetheless, it was through that 6-month ordeal, that I rediscovered my love for climbing and learned the power of maintaining a positive attitude.  I started doing more traveling to work with kids at youth organizations, working with different nonprofit groups, training some of my friends, ...... things that allowed me to stay connected with the climbing community in a positive way.  I had to accept the hand that I was dealt and find the best way to move forward with it.

Yank N Yard Competition

Once I resumed my normal training program in early October, I was a little scared to put myself out there in major competitions after taking such a long hiatus.  However, I knew that I couldn't let fear of failure stop me from moving forward.   I competed in two Open Bouldering competitions during the first two weekends in October, winning one and placed 5th in the other.  Then, I boarded a plane headed to Victoria BC, then to Xiamen China to compete in a Lead World Cup the following weekend.  I landed in Xiamen one day, and competed the next.  I climbed horribly, but surprisingly I wasn’t upset at all.  I was just glad to be back competing and getting used to China prior to the Youth World Championships.

For two weeks I traveled with my Chinese and adidas outdoor family, Yongbang Liu, Xiao Ting, and Chuang Liu.  We visited different gyms throughout China and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of nice and motivated climbers. I also thoroughly enjoyed indulging in my 2nd favorite passion- food! I got to eat lots of really different (but cool) foods, including my favorite dish, Xiaolongbao! I ate these meat dumplings almost every dayJ My two-week trek across China helped me relax, settle in, and physically/mentally prepare for my next competition.

My Chinese (and team adidas) Family

Gym hopping in China (Photo by Chuang Liu)

Photo by Chuang Liu

Photo by Chuang Liu

I was excited when I finally arrived in Guangzhou and started meeting up with my US Teammates.  I was eager to start the competition and I really wanted to do well and prove to myself that I was tough enough to endure a few setbacks, and still push through.  Lead was my first scheduled event.  The first two qualification rounds were rocky and I had to make several adjustments to push through some of the sequences that were odd for me.  Flash format is never my favorite.  Since my height is an outlier, I am rarely able to use the beta provided by other climbers and the forerunner.  I was really glad to push through to the semifinal and final rounds, when the onsight format began. 

Photo by: The Circuit World Cup and Performance Magazine

My finals route was long and looked awesome; however, the sequencing of the final section of the route was a little odd and had all of the climbers confused about the best path to take.  The first half of the problem was pretty straight forward and the crux section began as I entered the roof segment.  Since all of the holds were new to me, I had to commit to each move, hoping that I was making the best decision.  Toward the end of my climb I started to get tired, and I was a little hesitant to go dynamic for a crimp on the roof; luckily my flexibility helped me climb smoothly through that section.  When I arrived at the point in the route where there were two different paths that you could take, one move into my chosen sequence, I quickly realized that I was stuck and did not have the energy to push through.  I was happy with my performance and I could tell from the reaction of the crowd that I had reached a high point on the route.  After four more climbers, my 2nd place position was secured!  

Photo by: The Circuit World Cup and Performance Magazine

My next event was bouldering.  I was pretty relaxed entering this round of competition and ready to have fun on some creative boulder problems.  I flashed all of my problems in the first round, however, after numerous delays due to technical errors, the entire round had to be cancelled when it started raining late afternoon.  They decided to allow the semifinal round to decide the final competitors for all male categories.  For us, that meant cutting the field from 65 to 6 in a single round!  The semifinal round was as brutal as the drastic cut, with varied styles and low (to no) percentage moves.  The final 6 was decided by the number of attempts on two tops (out of 4 problems), and I was able to secure my finals spot with two tops in three attempts!   

Photo by: The Circuit World Cup and Performance Magazine

After six days of competition, I was exhausted, but anxious to compete in the finals round for bouldering.  I entered isolation surprisingly relaxed and excited to tackle some new problems.  I flashed my first problem and moved on to the second with high confidence. However, the second problem proved to be too hard for our category. I also lost a little focus and was called off twice for starting the boulder incorrectly.  No one ended up topping the 2nd problem. On the 3rd boulder, I topped it on my second attempt, entering my final climb in first place.  On the 4th problem, I did my best and kept fighting to reach the top, however, I neglected to use the arête for assistance and failed to top the problem.  When the competition ended, I had secured a silver medal in bouldering!  Once my climbing was over, I was invited to co-commentate the bouldering finals round for Juniors.  That was fun!!  

Photo by: Sherry Taft (aka Climbing Mom)

I was excited about medaling in two disciplines at the championships.  I was even more excited that the US had won the most medals in championship history:  6 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze!  Each of the female categories were dominated by a single competitor: Margo Hayes (USA) won bouldering, lead and overall gold for FJR category, Janja Garnbret (SLO) won bouldering and lead for FYA, and Ashima Shiraishi (USA) won gold in bouldering and lead for FYB. Brooke Raboutou (USA) won bronze in bouldering, silver in lead, and gold for overall. Also, a special mention to my USA teammate Maya Madere for earning a bronze medal at her first world championship!  

The male categories were way more scattered for each discipline.  Each division had 1-2 climbers maximum that made finals in multiple disciplines.  Surprisingly, I was the only one to medal in both disciplines!

Overall, I was very pleased with my performance and proud to have pushed through some pretty tough times.  There was no better way to end my 2016 youth climbing season than to be surrounded by all of my climbing friends from around the world.  I am always grateful to the coaches, routesetters, volunteers, and IFSC/USAC officials that make these experiences possible for me. I also want to thank my sponsors (Evolv, Adidas Outdoor, Clif Bar, and BlueWater Ropes) for supporting my goals and sticking with me through tough times, while always providing encouragement for me to continue pushing forward.

Looking ahead, I hope to return to a consistent period of being able to move forward with my climbing goals.   At the same time, it's great to know that I am capable of overcoming any obstacle that life gives me and turning lemons into lemonade!  Next stop for me, one week at home, then back to Europe for a month!

Christmas 2015

2015 was a big year for me in so many non-climbing related ways.  Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to grow up, take on more responsibility, and learn to adapt (instead of complain) about things I couldn’t control.  It’s amazing how you see things differently, through slightly more mature eyes :-).  One huge example was my experience over the past few weeks…….

Ever since I was 8, my family “made” me return home each year to participate in an annual Christmas Toy and Clothing giveaway, “Patty’s Wish”.  During the event thousands of donated toys and clothing items are given away to underprivileged kids in my hometown, Cleveland, OH- a city with incredibly high unemployment rates and disadvantaged populations that struggle to meet basic needs.   From this standpoint, I have always understood the importance of the event; however, this year for some reason I decided to ask a lot more questions and the answers that I received helped me understand my family and my grandmother’s incredible legacy.

In 1987 my grandmother, Patricia Lightner, started an annual Christmas toy and clothing giveaway, "God's Storehouse", through her church.  In 2002 my grandma lost her battle with cancer, and a few years later my family decided to continue the annual event in her honor, and renamed it “Patty’s Wish”.  In recent years, due to budget cuts in the local economy in Cleveland, many similar Christmas giveaway events have stopped, due to lack of financial support.  Our event has continued, with my family donating any gap in the funds that was needed.  During a discussion with my family while preparing a document for the event weeks ago, I began asking a lot of questions, trying to understand why they were so committed to continuing this charity event.  My mom finally explained.

“When I was a kid, we had everything we needed.  I never knew we were poor.  As a teen, my mom made me help organize and participate in the toy giveaway at church.  One year one of the volunteers spoke in a demeaning way to a lady that was there to collect items for her family.  My mom got really upset, spoke to the volunteer, and then brought the lady to the front of the line to help her get everything that she needed.  She later explained that she stood in every food, clothing, and toy giveaway line throughout Greater Cleveland for over 10 years, in order to make sure that we had everything that we needed.”

That short conversation put a lot of things into perspective for me.  The morning of the giveaway, as I watched hundreds of people wait outside for 2-3 hours in blizzard conditions (some with very thin clothing), I reflected a lot about my family and my own upbringing.

  I have the incredible privilege of flying around the world to pursue my dreams, with the support of my family and a few amazing sponsors.  I can’t quite imagine what it would be like to grow up like my mom, or the other kids in my hometown that we serve each year during the holiday season.  However, I do better understand how lucky I am and the fact that I am only 1 generation removed from a similar lifestyle.

I am motivated and inspired by people like my grandmother and John Ellison, founder of Climbers against Cancer (CAC), who despite fighting personal battles of their own decided to dedicate themselves to making the world a better place.  As I look forward, I’m actually excited to take a more active role in Patty’s Wish 2016 and find other ways to give back and honor the many gifts that I have been given.