Happy National Girls and Women in Sports Day

Since 1987, the National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) has been celebrated annually during the first week of February. Originally, it was a day to memorialize Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman and honor her achievements and work for equity after her sudden death in 1986. Since then, the day has grown to recognize the accomplishments of all women athletes and the positive influence that participation in sports has for women and girls. Additionally, NGWSD recognizes the progress that has been made since Title IX was enacted and the continuing challenges for equity for women in sports.

On this day, we would like to recognize a few American women climbers and their impressive accomplishments. We thank them for their contributions to the sport of rock climbing and for being inspiring role models to girls and women.

Kyra Condie

• Kyra was born in Minnesota and currently lives and trains in Utah.
• She started rock climbing at a local climbing gym at age 11.
• She was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 13 and had 10 vertebrae fused. Despite this incredible challenge, she was able to resume rock climbing.
• Here are three of her recent climbing accomplishments:
  • She competed in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games where Sport Climbing made its debut.
  • She won a gold medal at the U.S Climbing Combined invitational in 2019.
  • She won a gold medal at the IFSC Pan American Championship (Women’s Combined) in 2018.

Lynn Hill

• Lynn is a climbing legend who was a leading competitive climber in the 80s and 90s.
• She started rock climbing outdoors in California at age 14. She was also a competitive gymnast.
• Some of her outdoor climbing accomplishments include:
  • She made the first free ascent of The Nose on El Capitan (1993) and did it again the following year in 23 hours.
  • She was the first woman to make an on-sight ascent of a climb rated 5.13b. (1992).
  • She was the first woman to climb a route rated 5.14 (1991).
  • She was the first woman to climb a route rated 5.12d (1979).
• Some of her indoor competition climbing accomplishments include:
  • World Cup Champion (1990)
  • Five-time winner of the “Rock Master Invitational” in Arco, Italy (1987-90 and 1992)
  • Three-time winner of the Bercy Masters in Paris, France (1987-90)

Brooke Raboutou

• She started climbing at age 2 and is the daughter of two professional rock climbers.
• She grew up in Boulder, CO climbing at a local climbing gym and spent the summers climbing outdoors in southern France.
• Some of her accomplishments include:
  • She won two bronze medals at the IFSC Bouldering World Cups (2021).
  • She competed in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games and finished 5^th (combined).
  • She was the Lead Youth World Champion (2018).
  • She was the youngest female to climb 5.13b and 5.13d and to send 5.14b at the ages of 9, 10 and 11 respectively.

Ashima Shiraishi

• She was bork in New York City and started climbing at age 6 in Central Park. She started to climb competitively a year later.
• She wrote a children’s book about rock climbing: How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion
• Some of her accomplishments include:
  • When she was 13, she became the second female and youngest person to climb a 14d/5.15a sport route.
  • She is the first woman and youngest person to climb V15 (2015).
  • She won gold medals at three consecutive IFSC World Youth Championships (2015, 2016, 2017).