Climbing Toward Confidence
BY ALLISON KRIDLE
Once a month, a rock climbing gym in
Long Island City hosts a diverse group
of high school girls prepping to climb
in the great outdoors.
They’re there through Young
Women Who Crush (YWWC), a
climbing and leadership development
program for high school aged girls, started
two years ago by three rock climbers,
Alexis Krauss, Emily Varisco and Eva Kalea.
Not only do participants experience
the physical, mental and emotional benefits
of rock climbing indoors and outdoors,
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but YWWC also emphasizes community
building, leadership and teamwork
while on and off the rocks.
“The general theme of this program is building
self confidence, which for some of these
girls is a real challenge. Not only because either
they are immigrants or their family may
be, but because of body weight issues, their
home life is unhealthy, they are dealing with
these cultural ideas of what it means to be a
woman or a Muslim woman wearing a hijab or
just a kid living in New York City dealing with
the urban environment,” Krauss said.
MIND + BODY
Photos via Instagram @youngwomenwhocrush Photos by Savannah McCauley
Photos by Chris Vultaggio