Club Rock Climbing!

This week’s featured Club Sport at ECU Campus Recreation and Wellness is Club Rock Climbing! 

 As an established body within ECU CRW’s Club Sports department, Club Rock Climbing aims to foster growth and development for all ECU students interested in joining. The club provides a supportive environment where members can learn from each other, build their skills, and form lasting connections. By emphasizing mutual support and shared experiences, Club Rock Climbing encourages its members to grow both as climbers and as individuals.

“My favorite part about being part of ECU Club Rock Climbing is getting to meet new people and help each other grow,” says club member Ramiro Rosas Carillo. “We each see ourselves in each new member because we have been in their shoes and know what the struggle looks and feels like when starting. We do our best to make each member feel welcomed and belong.” 

 For many members of Club Rock Climbing, their reason for joining extends far beyond the wall itself. Liz Lyttle, who currently serves as the club’s secretary and will take over as president next semester, dives into her motivation behind participating. “Club Rock Climbing gave me the chance to reconnect with my sense of adventure and love of nature. Going on trips outdoors with friends has been great and has encouraged me to continue hiking and spending time outside as a de-stressor on my own”, says Lyttle. 

Club Rock Climbing members state that some of the memories they’ve made over the years will be remembered for the rest of their lives. “One of my favorite memories with Club Rock Climbing is the end-of-year lock-in that we usually do at the Triangle Rock Club Climbing Gym in Raleigh, NC,” says Lyttle. “It’s just a whole night to hang out and have fun.” Carla Waters goes into detail about the comradery within Club Rock Climbing when reminiscing on a humorous moment during the past year. “I have funny memories of us struggling during super hard ab workouts! But hey, at least we were in pain together!” 

While Club Rock Climbing has its fair share of fun moments and memories, they’re also sure to emphasize growth and self-improvement at the same time. When asked about areas of individual growth during her time with Club Rock Climbing, member Hayley Samulski says, “I would say my determination for challenging myself to get better at climbing has grown. My climbing technique especially with my feet and grip strength has improved.” 

“I started as a timid climber with a fair amount of strength, but not a lot of confidence or good technique,” Carla Waters declares. “Club Rock Climbing has allowed me to learn from climbers who know more than myself and grow in my skills and confidence as a climber.” 

Amongst all the members of Club Rock Climbing, there was one consistent theme that rang true time and time again in their responses; this club was important to them. “Participating in a club sport is important to me because I have always participated in sports,” says Waters. “I played soccer in college and was excited to learn that ECU had so many club sports programs to choose from. Rock Climbing is a sport I plan on participating in for as long as my body will allow, so I was pumped when I learned I could practice and learn as part of a team again.” 

Ramiro Rosas Carillo recommends that more ECU students should look into joining club sports, whether it be with Rock Climbing or a different club. “Go for it! Just ask what you need to do to join. Everyone and anyone who is part of a club sport is super friendly and would love for you to be a part of it. You’ll meet new people and learn a lot more about the sport. You might even get to travel and see all the different opportunities that are available for that sport along the way.”