Sport climbing is taking its game to new heights making its first appearance on the Olympics stage in Toyko. It’s an exciting leap for the sport and one in which team USA athlete Kyra Condie was determined to take part. In the latest On Her Mark, Hannah Donnelly caught up with Kyra who shares how an injury that may have ended others’ careers actually inspired hers. She also wants the world to love her sport like she does.
Meet Kyra Condie. She's a member of the USA Sport Climbing team, a first-time Olympic sport.
"We just have this opportunity to show climbing for the first time on that stage. And I think it's just really exciting to be a part of that," says Condie.
She has been climbing since she was a kid, and the fortitude and commitment needed is nothing new for the athlete.
The fierce competitor with a positive attitude faced a major obstacle shortly after she joined the sport.
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"So, I got diagnosed with severe idiopathic scoliosis when I was 12 years old, and I started climbing when I was ten," she says, adding, " I didn't realize that it was abnormal for 12-year-old girls to have really bad back pain."
On Her Mark
It didn't look good for her until a doctor told her that the way her spine was curved meant that she would need fewer fusions for more mobility.
It did mean, however, that she would need to adjust her training since she can't bend and twist like some other athletes.
For more on her path to Tokyo and her hopes for her sport, watch her interview above.
