Adaptive Climbing: Breaking Barriers With Shea Black

Shea Black, the oldest of four children, was born into a traditional family in Northern New York. Her parents, Doug and Jennifer Black, ingrained the concept of hard work into their children early on. Growing up with this mindset, Shea learned how to work hard, persevere, and succeed. For Shea, being born with one hand was not a setback. She became a strong student athlete who played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse for her high school. While she needed to adapt in ways her teammates did not, her natural athletic ability was evident. In 2022, Shea took her athletic adeptness to the next level. Alongside her partner, Shea drove to her local crag and put on a climbing harness for the first time. "When I try new activities designed for people with two hands, I try to go in with low expectations so I don't get too discouraged," Shea stated. "It's not that I'm thinking, 'I can't do this,' I just know it might take me longer to get good at at." With her partner's guidance, Shea tied into the climbing rope and peer