Welcome to Beyond the Desk – a series exploring passions, interests, and hobbies outside of the office. This month, our intern, Justin Zhu interviews Chiayun Chang, and writes about her passion for rock climbing.
Amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chiayun found safety and comfort in an unexpected passion: rock climbing. What began as a friendly outing and a way to stay active soon unfolded into a journey of self-discovery and camaraderie.
Chiayun credits her introduction to rock climbing to her friends, who were avid climbers, and their friendly pestering to try. Like many others, her first few times were riddled with challenges as she wasn’t familiar with the terrain and physical demands. Though Chiayun grappled with doubts and insecurities, she had support from her friends and found resilience within herself to push forward. The journey of minor but constant self-improvement sparked her passion, and near her fifth-time rock climbing, she decided to fully commit and invest in the sport.
As Chiayun embarked on her rock climbing journey, she quickly realized that rock climbing is far deeper than a test of physical strength. Rock climbing is a strategic pursuit that forces you to challenge yourself mentally and physically every climb. It goes beyond traditional notions of athleticism, embracing individuals of all statutes and skill levels. With its unique routes and changing landscapes, indoor climbing provides a controlled environment for exploration, while outdoor climbing presents an array of new challenges and boundless possibilities. Chiayun emphasizes that similar to life, in rock climbing, there is no one right path but a magnitude of different directions to reach the same goal.
Through Chiayun’s countless indoor and outdoor climbing across multiple states, a moment early in her journey has cemented itself above all others: her first outdoor climb at the majestic New River Gorge in West Virginia. Confronted with her first outdoor climb, the daunting cliff seemed to tower over her as she grappled with fear and uncertainty. But surrounded by friends, she challenged herself and did not let fear hold her back. Her training and muscle memory quickly kicked in, as she felt like she was defying gravity and scaling up the 60-foot cliff. She remembers feeling like she was the only one with the wall as her fears left her body, and she trusted her training. As Chiayun reminisces on the moments, she connects her journey back to life, saying to “trust the things you do well” and by “being honest with yourself, trusting yourself, and getting rid of what you don’t think you can do your possibilities are endless.
Rock climbing has taught Chiayun a lot about herself, but it has also unexpectedly connected her to a supportive and tight-knit community that resembles more of a family. Connected by a shared passion and despite age or background, Chiayun found support and camaraderie in the climbing community. For anyone who feels overwhelmed, unsure, or nervous, she recommends just taking that leap of faith, and even though the beginning will be challenging, stick with it because there will be a community that has been in your spot and is there to support you.
As Chiayun looks to her future in rock climbing, she wants to continue to travel to scale new heights and share memories with new people. She has also taken on a different aspect with rock climbing and moved to creating her own chalk bags. She describes chalk bags as representing a rock climber and being a part of their personality. She makes her chalk bags by buying stuffed animals, the pieces required for chalk bags, and converting the stuffed animals into chalk bags while still keeping the fun and silly traits of a stuffed animal. But for Chiayun, like the chalk bags that represented her personality, each climb added to her unique journey. Rock climbing was more than a sport for her – it was an exploration of growth and life.
