Image zoom Credit: @emilyaharrington/Instagram
A gymnast, dancer, and ski racer throughout her childhood, Emily Harrington was no stranger to testing the limits of her physical abilities or taking risks. But it wasn t until she was 10 years old, when she climbed up a towering, free-standing rock wall, that she first felt truly afraid.
“The feeling of air underneath my feet was really intimidating, but at the same time, I was drawn to that feeling in a way,” says Harrington
. “I think I felt like it was a challenge.”
That first heart-pumping climb in Boulder, Colorado ignited her passion for free climbing, a sport where athletes ascend a wall using just their hands and feet, with only a top rope and a waist harness to catch them if they fall. In the early years of her climbing career, Harrington became a five-time U.S. National Champion for sport climbing and earned a spot on the podium of the