FROM LEG AMPUTATION TO A CLIMBING WORLD CHAMPS IN 5 MONTHS

After a successful World Paraclimbing Championship in Austria 2018, placing 4th and setting a New Zealand Record as the first finalist in an IFSC world championship, Rachel came home to face a lower leg amputation.

19 days after losing her leg she is back in the gym training, and at 7 weeks she is back on the climbing wall. She is ambitiously heading to the 2019 World Paraclimbing Championship in France. this will be exactly 5 months to the Day since her amputation. A massive goal, but after last years success and this years surgery she has a point to prove that anything is possible.

Rachel juggles life as a busy mum of three, one of whom she describes as magical rather than “disabled” (a 13 year old with Autism), and is also a strong advocate and public speaker on setting goals, resilience, and being yourself.

Rachel will require a support person to travel with her. She is not walking on a prosthetic limb yet. Her Physio advises that she will need her wheelchair for traveling. This is a daunting task with her climbing equipment and her leg to carry whilst wheeling through airports. Simple things such as getting to an airport bathroom with all your luggage (and leg!) become impossible.

Paraclimbing is not funded by either Climbing Nz or Paralympics NZ . Rachel is pioneering her way in a new sport and has to find all the resources herself. This includes travel tk compete and training (3-4 hour round trip to drive to a climbing wall each time as there is none in Whangnui). She is so thankful for all the aroha and support from everyone who has been following her journey.