I am excited to announce that I was offered and have accepted the position of Team Head Coach here at Edgeworks Tacoma. It has been a pleasure working with the team thus far, and I have sincerely enjoyed getting to know all of your athletes better. I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your support of Team Edgeworks, as well as the consistent support you provide your athletes.
A bit about myself.
I started as an assistant coach at Edgeworks in August 2022, and had been climbing for about twelve years before that. I began my journey with climbing right here at Edgeworks Tacoma when I was sixteen years old, and have kept at it to varying degrees since. A Tacoma native, I graduated from Stadium High School in 2012, and went on to receive my Bachelors in International Studies at The University of Washington in 2016.
In 2017, I moved to Japan to work as an English Teacher as part of the Official Jet Program USA. I spent four years as an Elementary and Junior High school teacher, and one year working at a private tutoring institution. My fiancé and I moved back to the Pacific Northwest in June of last year, and were married in mid-July. It has been an incredibly exciting couple of years, with many perspective changes and important life lessons learned.
My time teaching in Japan left a lasting impression on me, and cultivated my passion for youth education. Upon my return to the US, I decided to do whatever I could to combine this passion for education with my own passion for climbing, and found myself extremely lucky to land a job here at Edgeworks Tacoma.
The assistant coach position has provided me the perfect space to begin applying my teaching skills in a much more physical and competitive environment. While I have a lot to learn as head coach, I am super excited to focus on a few things moving forward: I am incredibly excited to be working as head coach, and look forward to giving my all to help our team be the best it can be.
* A summary of social media messages distributed by Edgeworks in Summer 2020. *
Edgeworks stands in solidarity with those speaking out against systemic racism in our country, demanding justice and change.
In the days, weeks and months following George Floyd’s murder, Edgeworks staff and management took time to pause, read, listen, watch, learn, discuss and plan. Understanding that in order to instill the changes we want to see for Black people in our country, we must first explore and embrace the work of anti-racism ourselves. Work that is not always externally visible but critically important.
Accountability through visibility is also important.
For that reason, we began to share our action based initiatives on our website and social media. Additionally, we committed to continuing the use of our platforms to amplify BIPOC voices and representation in both the climbing community and outdoor spaces.
In 2020 we marched, held signs and posted our DEI statements. Now, we will continue to hold ourselves accountable.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been an unprecedented number of violent attacks against Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our communities, throughout the country and beyond. We can no longer stay silent. Help us to unite and rise above racism by calling out these injustices and bringing attention to them.
Additional information and resources can be found here.
Justice, Equity, Diversity + Inclusion
Diversity fuels the spirit of our staff and community. Our commitment to equity and inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and experience builds a culture where difference is valued, innovation thrives and adventure is accessible to all.
Our job as staff is to stay grounded in these initiatives and hold space for them through implementation, conversations and adaption. Perfectionism is not the goal; our work in these areas is ongoing.
If we misstep along the way, we invite you to correct us. Please feel free to reach out to our leadership staff here.
Featuring treats, clinics, fun challenges, evening social and our 1-Day Membership Sale.
We value our members and designed a special day just for them!
Morning, afternoon, and night, we’ve put together a schedule of fun featuring all the best Edgeworks has to offer. Stop by the gym for the 1-DAY MEMBERSHIP SALE and stick around for the fun activities.
Click the link for your home gym to view what they have planned for you! Space is limited so be sure to sign up early.
Starting at 6:00am, we’re kicking things off with fun morning treats for all of our early bird members.
FREE! Climbing Clinics
Clinics are for members only. Space is limited; sign up online!
From afternoon to evening, we’ve created another line-up of FREE climbing clinics designed to help improve your technical skills and offer a glimpse into the possibilities that our Climbing School courses have to offer.
Each location will feature a different schedule so be sure to click the link for your home gym to view what they’ve planned for you!
Here to help you finish your week strong and roll into the weekend ready for whatever life throws your way, a few of our favorite fitness instructors will be here to offer a special Friday line-up of classes and clinics.
Test your skills and speed against those of other members and staff.
ROPE COILING: See how fast you can coil a 60 meter rope. The fastest time will win a free rope from our Pro Shop!
KNOT TYING CHALLENGE: Tie as many different knots as you can in 60 seconds while wearing a bandana over your eyes. The most correctly tied knots will win a free cordelette and prusik cord from our Pro Shop!
MEMBER SOCIAL!
Community is the thing that keeps people coming back to Edgeworks. It happens naturally among climbers and through the monthly events, clinics, socials and meet up groups that help bring everyone together.
We invite you to come find “your people”… because they’re also “our people”.
The social begins 7:00pm and will feature free drinks, friendly climbing banter and plenty of smiles. Please bring your best climbing gym etiquette and join us for the celebration!
After two looong years of pandemic, competition bouldering returns to Ballard! For 2022, SBC is going BIG!! We’ll have two sessions of modified redpoint climbing, a social in the parking lot, morning coffee and food trucks, and onsight-format Finals round in the evening. Come compete against others in your category, or just stop by to socialize and watch finals!
Climbing Disciplines: Bouldering Format: Modified Redpoint Categories: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Masters, Open Genders: Female, Male, Non-Binary Ages: Competitors must be 16 years or older
SCHEDULE:
SESSION 1 Categories: Non-binary: All | Beginner: Men | Intermediate: Women | Advanced: Men | Open: Men CompetitorCheck-in: 7:00am Judges Meeting: 7:30am Competitor Rules Meeting: 7:45am Climbing: 8:00am-11:00am
SESSION 2 Categories: Masters: All | Beginner: Women | Intermediate: Men | Advanced: Women | Open: Women CompetitorCheck-in: 11:00am Judges Meeting: 11:30am Competitor Rules Meeting: 11:45am Climbing: 12:00pm-3:00pm Awards: 5:00pm(outside)
Transition Walltopia Room to Finals: Fun/Games + Food Truck: 3:00pm-5:45pm
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – WAIVERS: When in doubt, fill one out! All climbers must complete a signed waiver or have one on file with Edgeworks in order to participate. Waivers must be renewed each year. Click here now!
AWARDS + RAFFLE PRIZES: Instead of cash prizes, we choose to invest that money into some pretty sweet swag that everyone has a chance to win! The top 3 competitors in each category are guaranteed to walk away with a prize. Beyond that, our raffle prize system ensures that every competitor has a chance to win something too; competitors must be present to win. Raffle prizes will be given out after the Awards (approx 5pm)!
FREE AFTER PARTY! 3:00pm-9:00pm Once the competition ends, competitors and guests who are 21+ are invited to join us for the after party! Please note: all climbing will shut down at the conclusion of the community comp session; post-comp climbing sessions will not be available during this time.
All climbers age 16 or older are welcome to compete; we’re planning to have up to 200 competitors split into 2 sessions.
What format is the competition?
Sessions 1 and 2 will be modified redpoint format — this means that we will set a collection of climbs in the grade range for that category, and competitors are scored based on their tops, zones, and attempts on that collection of climbs. The top six competitors in each of Open – Men and Open – Women will qualify for the Finals round.
Finals round will be onsight format for the 6 competitors in each category. Finals competitors will each have a 4 minute turn to attempt each climb.
Do you need help?
Yes, we’re looking for volunteers for all three sessions! Find out more about what we need and what perks we’re offering here.
How much does it cost?
Sign up early to save! Presale prices are $45 for members and $50 for guests; they end Wednesday, 4/27. Later signups will cost $55 for members and $60 for guests.
Can I watch but not compete?
Yes, please come by for our social starting at 2:30pm, and stick around for Finals at 6pm! We expect the two earlier sessions to be pretty full, which might make spectating difficult, but if you volunteer to judge, you’ll have a front row seat!
Where should I park?
Parking at the gym will be limited — we’re using several spots for coffee, food trucks, and gathering space. In addition to our lot and the gravel road behind the gym, there’s paid parking is available at the Hiram Chittenden Locks a hundred yards west, and free on-street parallel parking on the streets and avenues north of the gym (28th through 32nd Avenues, 54th through 58th Streets).
Chalk up and get ready for a fun, new community rope competition! Bring a belayer and all the stoke to send while putting your rope climbing skills to the test on an all new set of competition style routes.
3 comps. 1 day. We’ll start the day early with morning and afternoon USAC Qualifying Events and then roll straight into an evening session dedicated to our members and community.
Climbing Disciplines: Top rope and lead climbing Format: Redpoint Belayers: Bring your own belayer! Categories: Select your gender during sign up – you’ll be automatically placed into a category based on total score. Genders: Female, Male, Non-Binary Ages: Competitors must be 16 years or older
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – WAIVERS: When in doubt, fill one out! All climbers must complete a signed waiver or have one on file with Edgeworks in order to participate. Waivers must be renewed each year. Click here now!
BRING YOUR OWN BELAYER: Belayers must hold a current belay certification with Edgeworks Climbing. Top rope and lead tests can be taken at any of our locations at any time prior to comp day! The day is going to be quite busy and our Tacoma staff will not be available for belay/lead test on the day of the event.
AWARDS and RAFFLE PRIZES: Instead of cash prizes, we choose to invest that money into some pretty sweet swag that everyone has a chance to win! The top 3 competitors in each COMMUNITY COMP category are guaranteed to walk away with a prize. Beyond that, our raffle prize system ensures that every competitor has a chance to win something too. Competitors must be present to win. Raffle prizes will be given out after the Awards (approx 9pm) and will include a sweet Grand Prize drawing!
AFTER PARTY! 8:30PM – 10PM Once the competition ends, competitors and guests who are 21+ are invited to join us upstairs for the after party! Please note: all climbing will shut down at the conclusion of the community comp session; post-comp climbing sessions will not be available during this time.
Prizes: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place competitors in each category will receive a sweet product prize from one of our event sponsors.
USAC Credit and Chalk UP: USAC Competitors CANNOT get credit for competing in the Chalk UP community comp. In the event that a USAC participant wants to compete for BOTH USAC credit AND prizes they must register for and climb in both sessions. Yes, that means they have to pay twice.
Climbing Time: Climbers will be allowed EXACTLY 2.5 hours to climb. All climbing will end at the 2.5 hour mark.
Monday – Friday, March 21st – 25th: Wall closures will begin as competition setting takes place; closed areas will include all of the EAST BAY rope walls. The rope and boulder walls in the West Room will remain open to members and customers throughout the week!
Saturday, March 26th | Gym Closed 8am – 6pm Because the morning and afternoon USAC Qualifying sessions will run as onsight competitions, the entire gym will be closed to all non-competitors from 8am – 6pm (including ALL of the climbing walls in the West Room, weight area, upstairs lounge, yoga and instruction rooms). All youth programs, climbing school courses and fitness classes will be cancelled. Our parking lot will be full so please plan ahead! Spectators are welcome in the competition area.
The West Bay and fitness areas will OPEN to MEMBERS ONLY after 6pm while the East Bay remains closed for the Chalk Up! rope comp.
Sunday, March 27th | Gym Re-Opens to Everyone Climbing will fully reopen on Sunday, March 27 with a large selection of all new competition style rope routes for everyone to try!
Smaller camp sizes, more time outside and creative thinking.
These are trying times for everyone, including parents and kids. With the challenges of social distancing, the pressures of remote, online and home school learning and a growing need to keep kids entertained at home; we could all use a little light to brighten this uncertain tunnel.
That is why we are committed to providing re-imagined summer camps that will engage and inspire kids to keep climbing and explore the outdoors.
Building off Edgeworks’ success running camps last summer, we’re confident in our ability to provide healthy programs for all skill levels: beginner, intermediate + advanced.
Recognized by WA state as a “low risk sport”, we continue to work with state guidelines to ensure a healthy + safe return to indoor climbing — the same is true for our Summer Camps.
Reduced Camp Sizes
The health and well-being of our members, guests + staff continues to be paramount in our decision-making. For that reason, camp sizes have been reduced from 12 participants to 8.
The following set of community health guidelines has been implemented to help mitigate health risks for our employees + campers. Upon registering, campers will also receive additional information specific to their camp experience.
More Time Outside
We anticipate that state guidelines will continue to limit the number of people allowed inside the gym at one time. The good news is that so much of ourSummer Camp programming, fun and adventure can be done outside!
Our amazing Youth Program and Outdoor Guide staff are researching a variety of local outdoor locations for our Adventure Rock camps to still enjoy some much needed outdoor adventure this summer!
Silver Linings
Every challenge brings opportunity, and for us that opportunity has been to re-imagine our camp structures and develop new curriculum to further engage and inspire campers to keep climbing and explore the outdoors. Our staff have brainstormed some really fun ideas that may just result in better than ever experiences for our campers!
Keeping You Updated
As news from the state and updates to the “Roadmap to Recovery” plan continue to develop, our plans may change. We will be sure to keep you updated with any necessary adjustments to our programming, schedule and/or transportation.
We also invite you to check our website, Facebook and Instagram accounts or drop us an email:
Collection boxes have been set up at each location – Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma – and donations are being accepted anytime Monday – Friday between 10am-5pm; plus Saturday + Sunday in Tacoma.
Receive 20% OFF Retail!
As an added incentive, those who donate 5+ food items will receive 20% off any full-priced retail item to be used now or at a later date.
Most Needed Food Items
Below is a list of the most needed items as well as a list of kid friendly recommendations:
Soups and chili
Peanut Butter
Individual cereals and full box cereals
8 oz shelf stable juice boxes
Shelf stable milk boxes
Shelf-stable alternative milks
Meal in a can: chili, ravioli, spaghetti-o’s
Mac and Cheese*
Granola bars’*
Individual packages of nuts or trail mix*
Single-serve instant oatmeal*
Snack size fruit cups (in their own fruit juices)*
*Especially needed for weekend food for kids meals
2020 has been a difficult year for so many throughout our communities and every little bit helps. Thank you in advance for your donations and support!