Some News

I'll be brief. I won't be going to Youth Nationals in Atlanta for the last year that I am eligible. After seven weeks off recovering from surgery, I lost a lot of strength in the supporting muscle groups in both of my shoulders that were keeping my rotator cuff injuries at bay. When I tried to make a comeback for the SCS season, I aggravated them pretty badly. Simply put, it now hurts to climb hard. Although I was able to participate in Regionals and Divisionals, it was without any serious preparation and only put off the focused recovery time I now feel that I owe myself after three and a half years of chronic shoulder issues.

This was a very hard decision for me to make, mostly because of the people I will miss seeing at the event, but also because it feels a bit like giving up. But it's also out of respect for the game. This level of competition demands a level of preparation and effort that I'm physically unable to put forward this time. I would choose to either train well or rehabilitate (injury) well, but by now only one of those options is achievable for me.


To all my friends in the competitive climbing community: you are the most inspirational, estimable, and supportive group of people in my life. Although this isn't goodbye, I love you guys, and I'm going to miss every one of you.