Rock Climbing with the students

So our first event was Rock Climbing and we had two previous students attempt to best one another at reaching the top. Before we all knew it, James and Messiah had both given up with James having gotten farther than Messiah. I asked James how he felt about the experience having been the second time around here's what he had to say:

"My arms are tight! I think I could have been faster going up."-James Blackburn II

You know going slow and steady is the best route

"Not when you're rock climbing"-James

I asked a first time student to the program about her travel to the top. Being no stranger to rock climbing her self she was swift and fluent in ringing the bell that awaits climbers. Here's what she said about reaching the goal:

Did the climb come easy to you?  "Yes."-Paige Burton
How did it feel being a woman and reaching the goal before the men? "it felt great because it just shows that its not always  about strength its about strategizing."

An intern for the NWF, Louisa Pinto, made it to the top and I asked her how it felt:

Is this your first time climbing: "No."-Lousia Pinto

Was this particularly easy for you or was there a challenge you didn't expect" Um, it was hard,, but I didn't think I would make it to the top. It was about as hard as i expected but i didn't expect to make it to the top"-Lousia Pinto.

Finally I spoke with another new student to the program and a first time climber:

How did you feel before you got up to climb? "When I decided to climb this wall emotions were running high." Michela Hizine

What was it like once you got up there? "when I started climbing I realized I might just loose a nail. I felt like an ant on an ant hill. It was such a big wall." Michela Hizine

Now that you've attempted to climb do you think you'll do it again in the future? "I believe so. i don't want the wall to conquer me."-Michela Hizine