I grew up in a small town in Tennessee. I spent most of my youth playing soccer, skateboarding, and hanging with friends. When I found climbing at the age of 17, my life changed completely. I quickly became obsessed and spent every waking moment either climbing at the gym, or outside sport climbing at a nearby crag called the Obed. I discovered climbing through a girlfriend I had at the time; she was on the climbing team at my high school. The first time she took me to a practice, I instantly fell in love. I also met a friend that day who would soon after become one of my main climbing partners for the next 10 years.
The first thing that attracted me to climbing was the challenge. The fight to get to the top of the wall and then the feeling of success when you got there was addicting. Later in my climbing, it became more about the exploration and discovery of new climbing. This aspect is what ended up leading me to South Lake Tahoe. There is so much potential here around town and even more in the Sierra as a whole. As I get older in my climbing, still wanting to push my body to its physical limits, I've realized how important it is to take care of myself.
Since working with Barton in physical therapy, I've noticed considerable gains in my body's well-being. My climbing has certainly improved, my overall health and mental state has improved, and with all the support and friendships I've made at Barton, I really feel like I am ready to take on that next challenge.
