Written by Kadisha Aburub

So what exactly does it take to compete on the National stage?

Here’s a quick rundown of competitive climbing for those who are unfamiliar. (It can be a tricky/confusing space to navigate). 

There are three disciplines of competitive climbing: 

• Bouldering
• Lead (14+ years old)/Top Rope (13 years old and under)
• Speed

Each discipline has different seasons: 

• Bouldering: October - December
  • Regional championships are held in January 
  • Divisional championships are held in February
• Lead/Top Rope: January - March 
  • Regional championships are held in April 
  • Divisional championships are held in May
• Speed: October - May
  • No regional/divisional championships. Athletes can compete at any qualifying event to achieve a qualifying time that makes them eligible to compete at the National Championships

A competitors rank is determined by their two best Qualifying Event performances. To qualify for Regional championships in either Bouldering or Lead/Top Rope a competitor must finish in the top 26 of their respective category.

From the 26 competitors per category at Regionals, the top 13 finishers advance to Divisional Championships. 

From the 13 competitors per category at Divisionals, the top 6 finishers earn an invitation to compete in that discipline at the Youth National championships. 

Long story short: a ton of hard work, dedication, and showing up to a lot of competitions. It is no easy feat. So we are incredibly proud of our athletes and coaches who have demonstrated an immense amount of commitment and grit to show up and rise to this occasion. 

Here are a few highlights: 

• • Michael Hom is the 2023 MYA Speed National Champion, with an invitation to the Youth World Championships and a spot on the USA Youth National Team
  • Logan Schlecht defended his National Champion title, with a spot on the USA National Team and an invitation to the Youth World Championships
  • Maddi Haferling finished 5th in the nation with a new PB of 9.609 seconds and a spot on the USA Youth National Development Team
  • Taede Mai finished 4th in the nation with a new PB of 7.319 seconds and a spot on the USA Youth National Development Team (first alternate for Youth World Championships)
  • Silas Chang is the 2023 MJR speed bronze medalist, with a spot on the USA Youth National Development Team (first alternate for Youth World Championships)
  • Silas Chang finished 18th in the nation in MRJ lead
  • Silas Chang finished 20th in the nation in MJR bouldering
  • Logan Schlecht finished 9th in the nation in MYB bouldering
  • Samantha Lai finished 11th in the nation in FJR speed
  • Yoji Bunnell finished 16th in the nation in MJR speed
  • Marcus Yoo finished 19th in the nation in MYA speed
  • Team Sender One SNA finished 3rd out of 61 teams in the team speed competition, and is the only team to be leaving the speed national championships with two gold medalists
  • Logan Schlecht finished 25th in the nation in MYB lead

A special shoutout to coaches Christian Mercene, Laurel Melton, and Stella Pena who supported athletes at Nationals, to all the coaches who show up and give their all to practice, to all the parents who make an insane amount of sacrifices, and to our Sender One athletes who show up day in and day out.

Photo ID: Sender One stands as 3rd place National team Champions for Youth Series Speed 

Photo Credit: Jason Chang (@theshortbeta)

For the past decade, Sender One has created unforgettable experiences for many climbers, new and seasoned. With three gyms up and running and more on the way (4 to be exact!), it is incredible to share such inclusive spaces for friends and family to gather while witnessing the growth and expansion of Sender One. We are so fortunate for the opportunities to discover and connect with a diverse community, allowing us to foster an environment where we can continue to share our passion for climbing. 

We'd like to take some time to reflect on the past 10 years with Alice Kao, Sender One's CEO.

Finally, on 6/15/2013, we opened the doors to Sender One SNA, our very first gym. Those early years are a blur to me, partly because I was so sleep deprived. I was also juggling a small child and a second job on top of running the business. What I do remember is having a crib in the back office, and sometimes Sydney sleeping in her car seat under the front desk.

Fast forward, and Sender One grew from one gym to three, with our team expanding from 20 to over 175 employees. There's a moment etched in my memory from about five years ago when I walked into the gym and couldn't recall the name of the CX staff member. That's when it struck me: Sender One had grown up, standing tall and thriving independently. It had become a living, breathing entity that no longer relied on me.

It's a rollercoaster of emotions. On one hand, I feel a bit sad because my child needs me less, but on the other hand, it's incredible to see them venture into the world, full of confidence and independence.

We look forward to seeing what the next ten years will bring for Sender One and its community! To climbers new, experienced, and those who are no longer with us thank you for climbing with us. We are forever grateful for your support!

Written by Kadisha Aburub & Eric Ho, Edited by Crystal Tan

It’s PRIDE month. 

Everywhere you turn, you will likely see a rainbow somewhere. Although it's exciting to see the world embrace our community, navigating the relationship with where we stand within that community and outside of it may not always feel like rainbows. Let's dive into some terminology.

What do the letters in LGBTQIA+ mean?

Lesbian: a woman who is physically, emotionally, or romantically attracted to other women.

Gay: a person who is physically, emotionally, or romantically attracted to people of the same gender.

Bisexual: a person who is physically, emotionally, or romantically attracted to people within more than one sex, gender, or gender identity.

Transgender: a person whose gender identity or expression is different from the sex assigned at birth. Transgender should be used as an adjective — not as a noun or a verb. 

Queer: an adjective used by some people whose sexual orientation is not exclusively heterosexual or straight. It’s an umbrella term that includes people who have non-binary or gender-fluid identities. Non-binary describes a person whose gender identity falls outside of strictly male or strictly female. 

• • Gender fluid describes a person whose gender identity or expression changes over time. 
  • Genderqueer describes a person who does not follow static categories of gender, embracing a fluidity of gender identity and, oftentimes, sexual orientations. 
  • Gender non-conforming describes a person who does not abide by traditional or cultural expectations — in regards to appearance or behavior — of their gender. 
  • In a 2018 Human Rights Campaign (HRC) survey, over 12% of LGBTQ youth identified as non-binary, and 9% identified as genderqueer or gender non-conforming. 
  • Questioning: When “Q” comes at the end of LGBTQ, it can also mean questioning. Questioning is a term used to describe a person who is exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Intersex: a term used to describe a person who is born with differences in their sex traits or reproductive anatomy that don’t fit typical definitions of female or male.

Gender identity and gender expression are also different!

Resources & Support

We climb to maintain our physical and possibly social capital. Climbing has also been shown to help improve our mental health! However, those of us in marginalized groups suffer disproportionately when it comes to mental health, especially those of us in intersectional communities (e.g. QPOC).

We’ve collected a few mental health resources to connect with or keep in your back pocket when needed.

The Trans Lifeline - Dial in crisis (877) 565-8860

Trans Defense Fund Los Angeles - Free self-defense kits to trans-POC in LA

Trevor Project - Leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ young people

Articles - "Being There for LGBTQ Young People with Disabilities"

Orange County LGBTQ Center - Affirming therapy

Coming out can be a lifelong process and very different for each person. Navigating coming out or rather, "stepping in” can feel both liberating and constant. Here are some resources that may help guide the process.

Coming Out: Living Authentically as LGBTQ Latinx Americans

Coming Out: Living Authentically as LGBTQ Asian and Pacific Islander Americans

Coming Out: Living Authentically as Black LGBTQ People

More coming out stories and resources from the Human Rights Campaign

All are welcome at our affinity group meet-ups, including our Send With Pride meetups. Even allies! Our Send with Pride meet-ups center LGBTQIA+ folx in the community, creating a safe space for all to connect.

What is a safe space, you ask? A space is only truly safe if it’s safe for the most vulnerable of us, especially those of us with intersectional identities. We want our meet-up attendees to feel free from discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional or physical harm.

What does it mean to be an "ally"?
Being an ally is a verb". Being an ally is NOT just checking a box

Examples of checking a box:

• Wearing a rainbow shirt
• Slapping a rainbow sticker on your water bottle
• Attending PRIDE events

Climbing for the first time can be intimidating. Joining your first gym meet-up can also be scary. The climbing community, fortunately, has many welcoming groups and safe spaces, indoors and outdoors!