Maya Benepe climbing a natural boulder in Berkeley, CA
Many families who live in major urban centers may find their children literally climbing their apartment walls for lack of creative exercise opportunities. That was the case for my niece, Maya, whose early childhood was spent in New York City, where at age 6 she would often climb the insides of doors, wedging her feet and hands against the doorway frames, until she reached the top.
Fast forward 10 years, and instead of going up apartment walls, Maya now scales high-tech indoor walls arrayed with devilishly challenging hand and foot holds. She is one of many agile young people who train and compete in climbing competitions. As proud as I am of the way Maya channeled her energy into a becoming a climber, I wonder how different it would be for her and other urban-dwelling kids, if city parks had more creative opportunities to master new skills, such as rock climbing.
Maya Benepe at USA Climbing 2017 Championships
When most people think of climbers, the image which often comes to mind is someone hanging by their fingers from a vertical wall in the mountains. But for too many children, a trip to the mountains is a long way away. This Saturday, September 30th, is National Public Lands Day.
As we reflect on the vast, iconic places that make up America’s public lands, those of us who live in cities would do well to also look closer to home, at the parks in our neighborhoods.
A recent report found that climbing’s popularity continues to increase, especially in cities. And there are predictions that it will keep growing. But barriers remain in bringing climbing opportunities to kids who don’t live near or can’t join a climbing gym. These kids, like Maya, have plenty of energy and the willingness, if only they can find the right places to put their fingers and toes.
Imagine if there were more opportunities for children of all backgrounds to enter the world of adventure sports, and be a part of a supportive community. Imagine if kids like Maya had free, safe and easy access to climbing walls and boulders in neighborhood playgrounds.
It’s an opportunity to reflect on all of our public lands, including city parks, and how to enjoy them. Challenge your kids, nieces and nephews and their friends to find places to climb and explore – and if they can’t – challenge yourself to voice support for our city parks, an oft-overlooked, but valuable mainstay of our shared public lands.
Adrian Benepe is Director of City Park Development for The Trust for Public Land (TPL) (www.tpl.org). Working with The North Face on an initiative -- “Walls Are Meant for Climbing” – the two organizations will bring climbing walls to underserved communities and provide kids with the chance to learn new skills, while bringing people of all backgrounds together to create a more inclusive sporting community.