I began climbing in 2014 at a small local gym in Birmingham, AL. I joined the gym quickly after my first visit and found a community who became like family, including my spouse. Over the next several years, we climbed all over the southeastern US, especially at Horse Pens 40 and Sand Rock/Cherokee Rock Village. I later helped with the expansion of Birmingham’s first climbing gym; I joined the staff and became a bouldering instructor and a youth coach, which included supporting athletes through local and regional competitions. I moved to Tucson in 2018 for graduate school and have been climbing at Rocks & Ropes and the BLOC ever since.  

As a teacher and lifelong athlete, I have a great deal of respect for sport, team building, and mentorship. Climbing has given me so much: a meditative/grounding practice, a deeper love and sense of responsibility for the land, and a space to challenge myself mentally and physically. As a coach, I love helping facilitate athletes’ engagement with the sport and all it has to offer. At its core, climbing is about community, and it’s a privilege to support athletes in their personal and communal development.