SCALING NEW HEIGHTS
Area climbers with disabilities prepare for national championships in Worthington
At 45 feet tall, the towering climbing wall might seem daunting to the untrained climber.
But for Keith Warrick, the prospect of scaling the beast had him practically overflowing with energy as he paced, jumped and clapped his hands in eager anticipation. When it was finally his turn, he brandished a rope and — with a few knotting flourishes — strapped himself into his harness at Vertical
Adventures in Worthington.
“Let’s go!” he said, a smile crossing his face.
With his coach, Will Kelly — a 16-year-old sophomore at Olentangy Liberty High School — serving as his belayer by letting out rope and monitoring his progress from the ground, Warrick nimbly ascended the wall in a matter of minutes. And once he reached the top, he tipped his hat, waved to the onlookers below and quickly descended.
No one would have guessed that Warrick, 26, suffers from bone and lung diseases that can make everyday tasks difficult and cause him to be easily fatigued. In no time, he moved on to another portion of the climbing wall during a weekly Monday practice.
“He doesn’t like to chalk up or rest,” said Kelly, who has been coaching Warrick for two years under a program for climbers with physical and mental disabilities at the facility.
Warrick’s trademark enthusiasm may have been more heightened than usual that night. That’s because he and five others in the adaptive program were in the final stages of training for the USA Climbing Adaptive National Championship.
Saturday will mark the second year in a row that Vertical Adventures will host the competition — the only adaptive event for climbers with disabilities sanctioned by the national governing body for the sport. Upwards of 100 adaptive climbers (the way climbers approach the wall can be adapted; the course can’t) from around the country are expected to compete in the event, which serves as a qualifier for the Paraclimbing World Championships.
This year’s international competition — sanctioned by the International Federation of Sport Climbing — will take place Aug. 21 in Hachioji, Japan. A berth to that championship is the goal for Warrick, who will be competing in his third national championship.
His introduction to and success with the sport marks an improbable progression for Warrick, whose myriad battles with health issues began from the moment he was born. He underwent open-heart surgery within 24 hours of his birth at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, according to his mother, Ina Warrick.
Throughout Warrick’s life, weakened muscle tone and poor coordination caused by Klippel Feil Syndrome, a rare bone disorder, have made common tasks difficult. A condition known as aphasia causes Warrick to have trouble finding the right words when having conversations with people.
He’s also been diagnosed with lobar holoprosencephaly, which results in skull and facial defects; and restrictive lung disease, which limits his lungs from fully expanding with air. Doctors have cautioned that chronic pain and fatigue will follow him throughout his life, Ina Warrick said.
His father, Keith Warrick Sr., works for Nex Transport in East Liberty, while Ina Warrick is his full-time caretaker at their home in West Mansfield, a small town an hour northwest of Columbus.
Climbing has been central to Warrick overcoming many of his physical challenges.
“When he started climbing and doing well, we were like, ‘OK, we finally found a sport that is Keith’s sport,’” his mother said. “To watch him climb, he’s using his feet and his arms, and I’m thinking, he’s overcome every obstacle that every doctor laid before us.”
Warrick’s passion for the sport began when he was a Boy Scout and would tackle the climbing walls during camping trips. He began climbing at Vertical Adventures five years ago.
“It challenges me,” he said of the sport, adding: “I’m very good at it.”
He’s now one of nine adults in the Adaptive Ascent program at the facility that caters to those with any disability through special attention and even equipment, if necessary. The facility also offers an adaptive program for youth.
“We make it possible for anyone with a disability or special needs to get up and climb,” said Christine Kessler, director of marketing for Vertical Adventures. “It’s an amazing sport, and everyone should be able to access that.”
No tryouts are necessary for those in the program who choose to compete for Team Vertical in the upcoming national championship.
At 7 years old, Rosemary Casey is the youngest member of this year’s team. She’s completely blind, but it isn’t evident as she expertly scaled the wall during the Monday night practice, meticulously searching and feeling the jutting holds with her hands before progressing.
Bret and Anne Casey, who live in Worthington, adopted Rosemary from China in 2016 and introduced her to climbing in January 2017.
“It’s neat to see her excel at something where she doesn’t have any limits because of her condition,” her father said.
Anne Casey agreed: “I think it’s really helping her to be the best version of herself.”
At this weekend’s championship, Rosemary Casey will be competing in the youth category open to anyone 16 and younger. It’s one of six divisions open to athletes with a range of physical and mental disabilities, said Zachary Brinchi, marketing and communications manager for USA Climbing.
The other categories are: neurological or physical impairment; visual impairment; upper extremity amputees; lower extremity amputees; and seated.
“It’s a chance for them to compete in an event where they are facing off against their friends while breaking the stereotypes the world puts on them,” Brinchi said.
Athletes will have three hours to climb as many routes as they’d like. Volunteer judges will award points based on how many routes or how high they climb, with their top three climbs tallied for a final score. The top three males and top three females in each category will be honored with a medal, and the top four finishers will automatically qualify for the world championship, Brinchi said.
If Warrick qualifies, it won’t be his first time competing on the world stage: He also was at the 2018 World Championships in September in Innsbruck, Austria, where he placed 13th out of 15.
Regardless of the outcome, though, Ina Warrick said her son has already proved one thing — that his disabilities don’t define him or what he can accomplish.
“He was born to be a climber,” Warrick said. “He was born to be on that wall.”