Photo: Ruth Castillo
About Me
Climbing Since '06
Born: New York, New York, January 6, 1997 Height: 5'11 (180 cm) Ape-index: +2 inches (185 cm) Climbing: Since 2006 Disciplines: Sport, Bouldering, Competition, and psyched on trad! How am I feeling: Excited Academics: Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University (Class of 2019) Other: Kick'n it, recreational banjo Photo: Tim Gillies
When I was six, my parents found a climbing gym in a magazine, and thought it was the perfect fit for my sister. She instantly fell in love with it and started doing recreational lessons. I was dragged to the gym, and couldn't contain my excitement sitting on a couch. I started climbing on a weekly basis, but my coaches still had trouble containing my boundless energy. I eventually moved up to the Senior team (at age nine), and started competing fairly regularly. Since then, climbing has shaped my identity as a person and dictated how I've viewed and interacted with the world. I have climbed outside from South Africa to France and all over the US, as well as several other international competitions from Singapore to Italy. My whole life I've worked on finding a balance between climbing and school. It hasn't been easy, but I've learned to appreciate both more because of the other. Climbing outside is what I do for fun, and competitions keep me motivated to train harder so I can perform when I'm able to get out in between studying for tests. I'm constantly looking forward to the next challenge, and excited to see how I can merge my love for climbing with my passion for engineering. As a recent graduate with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University in the Boston area, I'm currently pursuing Climbing full time. I just finished competing on the Lead World Cup Circuit, where I made two Finals and four Semifinals. Now, I'm looking forward to further testing myself outside. I've watched videos and seen some of my climbing idols in some of the most iconic outdoor climbing in the world from Catalunya, Spain to Ceuse, France to Yosemite, CA. I'm looking forward to testing myself in some of these same areas. Be sure to check out my blog for my next big adventure! |