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Skier in mid flip

Photo:

Elizabeth Sahagun

Climb

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Clarksburg, California

Current Location: West Lafayette, Indiana

Favorite Zone: The Himalayas

Proudest Achievement: 30+ ice routes with 30 underrepresented people in a season.

Favorite Advocacy Org: Edge Outdoors

Biography

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I am a Mexican American woman, neuroscientist, and an alpinist. I was a curious and energetic kid that grew up playing in wide open farmland. I didn’t get into the mountains until I studied abroad in South America and the kid in me just went wild. After college, I backpacked in the Himalayas and US National Parks before I committed to going higher. I learned to ice and rock climb in 2017, right after I moved to the Midwest for grad school. I also developed my mountaineering skills and recently learned to ski. My goal is to be a well-rounded alpinist so I can experience different kinds of mountains in different kinds of ways. I also want to instruct and mentor others, particularly in ice climbing since that is where I struggled most with the lack of representation. That’s what led to my “Journey to 30” project where I climbed 30+ ice routes with 30 underrepresented people in a season. That really challenged me to be vulnerable, connect with my community, take up space, and just get after it. The kid in me is going wild again to challenge narratives, break barriers, and see how far I can really go!

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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?: Katie Bono
How did you get involved with your respective sport? : I became obsessed with mountains after I went to Patagonia in 2011. I started backpacking there and that passion has grown into more ambitious objectives that include glacier travel, climbing, and now even skiing.
Who were your influences early in life? : My parents. They immigrated from Mexico to California in their early 20s to work as farm laborers and I admire them so much. They are resourceful, hard-working, and resilient. They overall set a good example for me growing up.
What draws you to the outdoors?: Curiosity. ‘What does it look like?’ ‘What does it feel like?’ ‘Will it be challenging?’ ‘Can I do it?’ ‘Who am I in that space?’ When something sparks my curiosity, I get restless, and just HAVE to find out.
What’s your dream trip or expedition?: So many! I want to go back to Patagonia and Nepal for alpine climbing. I also want to be a good skier so I can ski down Mexican volcanoes when I climb them.
What makes a good skiing/climbing/running/hiking partner?: Someone that makes you feel safe. Not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. It’s awesome to be in nature with people that you can be yourself around. Those are the most fun partners and the ones I perform best with.
How are you going to pass on what you learn in the mentorship program to others? : I’ve been open about how challenging my journey into alpinism has been and have been mentoring others in overcoming their own barriers. I’m also focusing on being an ice climbing instructor to expanding the community and change mountain narratives.