Text by ANYA MONDRAGON and SOPHIE MATLOF
KNOWS THE ROPES
CLIMBER PERSISTS IN PANDEMIC
C
PANDEMIC CLIMBING — Joing scales a homemade rock climbing wall in the backyard of her friend’s house in Sunnyvale.“I have to be ready to commit to things because there’s some moves that you have to jump and stuff, and that’s really stressful,” Joing said. Photo: Audrey Joachim
Joing brings her can-do attitude to her LINGING TO THE CURVED who are all so good,” Joing said. “All the job at Planet Granite. On top of three-hour wall of the climbing gym with stress leaves and I just remember why I like practices three days a week and indepenthe tips of her chalk-dusted fin- climbing so much.” dent workouts, Joing works as a climbing In 2014, the same year that she began gers on two blue holds, Palo Alto coach for the beginner rock climbing team. High School junior Emma Joing is careful rock climbing, Joing underwent knee sur“I got to foster their love for climbing to take her time — the holds are all that gery due to her hip dysplasia and dislocated and show them the ropes literally and figuknee cap. anchor her against a plummet to the floor. ratively,” Joing said. Because of her physical limitations, With effortless grace, as seen in the vidThe COVID-19 eo of Joing at the 2017 Reno Competition, Joing adapted innopandemic has shutshe swings her legs up to perch her feet vative strategies for All the stress just tered climbing gyms onto a blue rock in line with her hands. She climbing. leaves and I remember across the country, in“I climb differentpauses and shifts her position to shake out cluding the Bay Area. her fingers, keeping her eyes on the final ly than my friends do why I like climbing so However, the setback because they can mablue hold marked with the number 25. much.” has not deterred Jo“It’s funny because when people ask me neuver their hips more — EMMA JOING, junior ing from pursuing her what a climbing competition looks like, than I can,” Joing said. passion. She continues the first thing that they think of is that it’s “So I try to be creative to practice on her own or socially distanced speed,” Joing said. “But that’s actually com- in the way I do climbs.” with a select few teammates either in her Joing believes that creativity is just as pletely false.” garage or at her friend’s mini rock climbing As the video continues, she uses her crucial as strength training for winning wall in Sunnyvale. arms, conditioned from hours of weekly competitions. “I have these people that I’m not as con“Rock climbing needs mental strength, rock climbing practices, to leap up and grab nected to anymore because I don’t see them not just physical,” the final hold, receiving as often,” Joing said. Joing said. “It’s enthusiastic cheers from It’s about climbing Joing has maintained a passion for about climbing the audience. smart versus climbing climbing her whole life, and she plans to smart versus just Joing is one of 10 continue the sport through college. Alclimbing strong.” high school students on strong.” though she takes her time on climbs, it took Joing’s positive — EMMA JOING, junior her competitive rock her no time at all to realize that she would mindset is apparclimbing team at Planlove the sport forever. ent to those around et Granite in Sunnyvale “When I started doing it, I couldn’t and has qualified for the United States her, including her Planet Granite teammate believe people did rock climbing as a sport Youth Nationals Climbing Competition Alexandra Merrem. and that I could just do this every single “Emma is super supportive, really cheertwice. day,” Joing said. “Now I have an outlet for “I see all these girls from all over the ful all the time,” Merrem said. “She will althis joy that I have.” v country [at the Nationals Competition], ways be there ready to work hard.”
“
“
36 OCTOBER 2020
