photography by Sarah Larcombe
Maybe I should start with any number of cliché’s about how we’re already at the end of the year. There are a number of ways to sum up 2024, but I think the word “rollercoaster” puts it perfectly. It has a been a year full of ups and downs, but mostly it’s been a pretty great year for Para climbing in Australia. My favourite achievement for 2024 was starting up Paraclimbing Queensland and watching it grow over the year.
It was a project that I was really happy to jump into even with the World Cup in Salt Lake City to prepare for. I’ll get to my experiences with SLC in a moment. But since starting Paraclimbing Queensland earlier in 2024, we’ve held monthly social sessions at Urban Climb in West End. Our first session was small, but we had lots of new faces to be introduced to and climb with. As the sessions kept coming, we started to see more people coming back and a community really starting to build. Because of this, we were able to get a Para category up and running at the QLD Lead State Titles. Sport Climbing Queensland were great in supporting this and arranged for Carlie Lebreton to come and set some para climbing routes. Both Sian and I were ecstatic with how this all unfolded and gave us even more confidence in trying to get more Para categories in other events. At this year’s nationals, we had a massive turnout of Para climbers across different categories. Six of those climbers were from Queensland!
This year, I learned the hard way, just how frustrating getting classified to compete in para sport can be. There are heaps of reasons why it’s set up the way it is and while I understand it, para sport isn’t always the most inclusive if you haven’t got a super clear-cut disability. There are two things you need to reach classification: an eligible impairment and an eligible condition. It was the second reason where I ran into issues. I have an eligible impairment, but the reason for this impairment is still not entirely clear. All that means for me is that I can’t compete at an IFSC level at the moment. Unfortunately, I had to travel all the way to SLC to find this out. What I wasn’t prepared for though, was just how much the community around me was going to be supportive of me. So even though I couldn’t compete, I was still accepted in the community because I’m still a para/adaptive climber. I got to step into more of a team support/manger role while in SLC and that was honestly, just as rewarding. It wasn’t all lost though, because I then got to spend a good few days climbing in Utah with some of my teammates.
Some of my favourite memories were made while outdoor bouldering with a bunch of other adaptive climbers. I learned ways to work around and with my body that I haven’t had a chance to do outside of with other adaptive climbers. One thing became really clear to me as well. I think we all kind of know this, but outdoor grading is one of the most subjective things you’re going to come across. I started learning this while crack climbing at Frog Buttress, but really learned it while bouldering in Utah. There’s nothing quite like everyone falling off a V1 over and over again because it challenges each of your different disabilities in its own way. There’s also nothing like walking your way up a crack climb that grown men struggle through because your tiny hands are the perfect size (sorry not sorry).
.jpeg)
photography by Corrie Findet
photography by Corrie Findet
I actually got to spend a lot of time climbing outside and I am never happier than when I am rolling around in the dirt. I’m really grateful to Pinnacle for bringing me on board and taking me for my first outdoor boulder. We’ve had some silly adventures and I know we’ll have so many more to come. To round out the year, I’ve been building myself a home hangboard frame.
I haven’t set many goals or resolutions for 2025, but I do have some adventures stewing. Even though 2024 was a rollercoaster, it taught me lots and it gave me lots. Here’s to 2025.
