On belay? Belay On.

First off, I'm a rock climber. That's one thing that won't change about me. It's been my passion since I was eight years old.
             It all started in August 2013, at a seemingly monotonous summer camp. It was noon, and I was nearly bored to death, we had been swimming all day, and were now in the middle of working on coloring books. I was coloring in a ballerina, which was my current sport. Suddenly, the counselor, Alex, called out: "Who wants to go climbing?" At those words, my little blonde head snapped up. I was tired of coloring a tutu that by now, was so pink it was less of a garment, and more like a deformed pink highlighter. I followed him and the two other boys to the gym, and the rest was history.

This is my story. Every time someone says, why do you climb? I always start with this story.But why is it that I climb? Even I don't really know. I'm not really an adrenaline junkie, but I love the feeling of wind on my face, and nothing but air under my feet. It's amazing how once you get on the wall, you can just forget the world around you, and focus on the route. It's truly an amazing feeling.

           A question I often get is, don't you get scared? The answer is yes. All. The. Time. The trick is not letting the fear get to you. For example, if you're afraid of falling, then don't fall. Use your fear as initiative to get you up the wall. I know this isn't always the case, but it helps to get you to reach your goals. Just yesterday, I was at practice, and I was lead climbing, when my coach told me I had to down climb. It's a form of endurance where you do the route backwards. Thing is, I had never done such a thing on lead before. All I did was take a deep breath, and take it one step at a time. It's that easy.
           Sometimes, it doesn't always work out like that. Climbing is every part as physical as it is mental, and every once in a while, you can get stuck. Just ask anyone who partakes in this sport. It almost always will result in the telling of some trouble they had. That's actually the best part. Because they're so many people who love this sport, you can get help tons of people. Be it a coach that you've known for years, or a random stranger that's willing to lend a hand. I've been to so many gyms in my lifetime, and have not once been denied help. I'm not saying that I always ask for it, but when I do, there's definitely someone willing to give advice.

          I guess that's why. I climb not only for the rush, but because it's such a powerful, graceful, and intense sport. Because the culture that surrounds it is so diverse and has so many devoted participants that it is in a way some kind of religion. One that accepts all people. My religion