Today's episode, which comes to us from Every Body Climbs, features Melissa Ruiz. Melissa has been climbing and competing for about 6 years. She’s got a collection of medals to her name, including five gold, from national and world paraclimbing championships/cups.

But recently she's started climbing outside, and to put it lightly, she is stoked. So, this October (2024) she'll be teaching an aid climbing workshop at the Adaptive Climbers Fest in the Red River Gorge. Aid climbing is part of how Melissa has been able to access outdoor climbing with her disability, which is cerebral palsy. We pick up the conversation as she's explaining her condition and throughout the episode we talk about the importance of core strength, the joy of outdoor climbing, and what grades really mean.

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🔍 EXPLORE FURTHER

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