Sophia's climbing at Youth Worlds

Hi, I’m Sophia Cook, an 18-year-old rock climber from New Zealand. For me, climbing isn’t just a sport, it's my whole life. From the moment I first discovered climbing at Uprising nearly five years ago, I fell in love with the challenge, the community, and the freedom it gave me. Since then, I’ve been passionate about training, competing, and exploring some of the most beautiful crags in New Zealand and Australia. I’ve been fortunate enough to win national titles and represent my country in Australia, and now I’ve qualified to compete at the Youth World Championships in Helsinki. This is a super exciting opportunity and a dream I’ve worked towards for years. This is more than just a competition—it's a chance to push my limits, represent Aotearoa on the world stage, and hopefully inspire other young climbers to believe in themselves too.