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Skier in mid flip

Photo:

Ariana Mathews

Climb

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Newton, MA

Current Location: Somerville, MA

Favorite Zone: Central Rock Gym Cambridge or Farley Ledges, MA

Proudest Achievement: My proudest achievement in climbing was making the U.S. National Team for bouldering in my last year of youth eligibility after recovering from a life-threatening illness the year prior.

Favorite Advocacy Org: Brown Girls Climb, Adaptive Climbing Group, and Queer Climbing Collective. I can’t pick just one!

Biography

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Hi! My name is Ariana Mathews, and I’m 20 years old. I was born and raised outside of
Boston, Massachusetts. I’m a rock climber who specializes in bouldering, and I love both
outdoor and competition climbing. In the past I’ve done a lot of competition speed climbing,
but over the last few years I realized that bouldering is truly where my heart is, and I’ve been
training for that. I’ve been on the US National Team a few times for youth speed climbing and
bouldering, and my goal is to eventually make the adult team. Long-term, I’d love to compete
at bouldering world cups and send some projects outdoors. Outside of climbing, I love working
in education, and this year I’m on a gap year from college at Tufts University to co-teach third
grade ESL, which has been an absolute blessing. Through empowering immigrant youth and
adults, studying educational inequity in depth, and developing my own identity as a queer
female athlete, I aim to serve the world around me, through climbing and beyond.

Instagram

ATHLETE MENTORSHIP INITATIVE

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The SCARPA Athlete Mentorship Initiative presented by Mountain Hardwear has been created to connect and engage the SCARPA and Mountain Hardwear Athlete teams with accomplished athletes from historically marginalized communities aspiring to take their sport or career to the next level. The mission of this program is to connect mentors with mentees focused on the sports we serve to provide participants with opportunities for personal, athletic and career development with the goal of helping to create a more inclusive and diverse community of athletes.

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Q & A

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Who is your mentor?: Alex Puccio
How did you get involved with your respective sport?: I started climbing at my local YMCA, and instantly fell in love. I visited a climbing gym shortly thereafter, and joined the competition team two weeks later. The rest is history.
Who were your influences early in life?: My climbing coach, Frankie, made a huge impact on my life from a very young age. I didn’t always have a lot of female coaches, and Frankie helped me grow so much as both an athlete and a human.
What draws you to the outdoors?: I’m drawn to nature because of its simplicity and its beauty. When you’re outside there’s no pressure to be any one thing. Looking up at a huge boulder, your problems seem small by comparison, and that’s a pretty cool feeling.
What’s your dream trip or expedition?: I would love to go to Fontainebleau someday because my favorite hold is a sloper.
What makes a good skiing/climbing/running/hiking partner?: A good partner is patient and kind, and respects the outdoors and the other people who share the space with you. They’re also (hopefully) a good spotter! How
How are you going to pass on what you learn in the mentorship program to others?: I’m going to use what I learn in the mentorship program to help guide others to grow in the sport. A lot of times the climbing industry can feel really scary and inaccessible, and I hope to help others navigate it.