Kathy Bravo

Front Desk Staff

I’ve been climbing “for fun” since 2007, using day passes to explore gyms up and down California. This was due to a myriad of reasons including lack of exposure to the sport, and cultural and economic barriers. In 2017 I was able to meet like-minded folks and we worked together to build a welcoming community for climbers of color and low-income folks called Climb the Gap. I finally decided to “get serious” about my technique! So far it’s been such a pleasure combining my passion for “doing good” with my passion for climbing. Despite my on-and-off relationship with climbing, it has always been the best therapy. Climbing requires such focus when solving problems that all of my worries melt away. I also like a challenge and climbing delivers on that front mentally and physically. Lastly, I’m kind of an adrenaline junkie (anyone else like motorcycles, skydiving and plan on running into fires?)… climbing delivers on that front too!

It may sound cliche’ but “we all start somewhere.” Folks often compare themselves to others who have been putting in the work for decades, but like most things in life you should feel comfortable doing things on your own terms and timeline. It’s ok to do something different and differently! This is how we grow – by pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone. Who knows, you might surprise yourself down the line with how strong you are, mentally and physically! Plus, climbing is a community-based sport (Trust me, we’re super friendly open-minded peoples.) So while you may be eyeballing someone else’s strength and technique, they may cheer you on with “Dang! PG fam is super creative and a real thinker! I wouldn’t have thought of solving that problem like that.” Besides…You can always change your mind, so it doesn’t hurt to try!