Emily Harrington
Rock Climber
Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Emily Harrington has been climbing for most of her life and has an impressive list of achievements to show for it.
She started as a member of the USA Junior Climbing Team in 1998 and has been a member of the USA Climbing Adult Team (difficulty) since 2004. In 2007, Emily became the 2nd American female to climb 5.14b and finished 2nd in the Sport Climbing World Championships in 2005. Despite her roots as a competition climber, Emily has explored several other aspects of the sport. Recently, she claimed the first female ascents of Roadside Prophet (5.14a) and Living the Dream (5.14a) in Rifle, CO, and an ascent of Full Equip (5.14a) in Oliana, Spain and served as a Team Leader on TNF’s Free Range Turkey Expedition. This past winter, she climbed up to M8 mixed and 5.13a traditional and competed in the 16th Ouray Ice Festival, placing 14th overall and 3rd for the women.
While busy accumulating these athletic achievements, Emily also managed to graduate Magna Cum Laude from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs in 2007. Her other achievements include serving as a USA Athlete Representative at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy, and representing Access Funds as Youth Ambassador from 2003 to 2006. She served as an Athlete Representative on the USA Climbing Board and is currently an ambassador for Outdoor Nation. It is clear that Emily does not do anything halfway, whether it is school, donating her time, or climbing, and she clearly has a passion for every endeavor she undertakes – a passion well beyond her years.
Birthdate: August 17, 1986
Nickname: “Em”
Pet’s Name/Type: Rio (Black Lab)
Favorite Movie: Planet Earth and The Life Series
Favorite Destination(s): Oliana, Spain; Miraflores, Venezuela; the Khumbu valley, Nepal
Favorite Snack: Hummus and carrots
Favorite Book: A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah
I Get Amped Listening To: Lady Gaga, Lil’ Wayne, Pretty Lights, Beats Antique
Words To Live By: Do not follow unwanted advice, write your own story.
Inspiration Within the Sport: Those who are not afraid to fail, have the ability to see the bigger picture, and show a desire to give back to the community.
Most Humbling Moment: Anytime I go bouldering.
Proudest Moment: Winning the Serre Chevalier Invitational Competition (2006 - France).
Most Recent Epic: Getting lost while hiking in Spain.
I’ve Always Wanted To: Be able speak at least 5 different languages fluently.
Three Things I Always Pack on a Trip: iPhone, earplugs, and sunscreen.
Three Things People Should Know:
- I love traveling. I believe it teaches life’s most valuable lessons.
- I am terrified of heights, and have severe anxiety when standing on the edge of cliffs.
- My guilty pleasures are reality television and ice cream; preferably in tandem.
Cause(s): Keeping outdoor climbing areas open, clean, and accessible. Inspiring the youth of America to get outside and live active, healthy lifestyles with a concern for the environment.
Competitions (Sport Climbing):
- 5x US National Champion
- 2x North American Champion
- 2nd Place IFSC World Championships 2005
- 1st Place Serre Chevalier International
- 3rd Place IFSC World Cup competition (Zurich) 2007
Outdoor (Sport Climbing):
- Hardest Redpoint: 5.14b
- Hardest Onsight: 5.13c
- Hardest Boulder problem: V9
- Hardest Traditional climb: 5.13a
- Hardest Mixed climb: M8
- Number of 5.14 repoints: 9
- Number of First Female Ascents (5.13d and harder): 13
- Link to full sport climbing ascent list: http://emilyaharrington.wordpress.com/about/sport-climbing-ticklist
