Anita Aggarwal Team GB Paraclimbing World No. 2 photographyanita.wordpress.com

After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009, Anita used climbing to help learn to move her limbs again. She has since stood on the podium for multiple paraclimbing competitions and coaches people of varying abilities.

“My kind of coaching isn’t just about climbing, it’s life skills. I end up teaching my clients how to communicate, how to look at people and how to have systems in place.

“One client couldn’t go down steps or climb a hill, but now she can climb mountains, go up steps and down hills. You’ve got kids who can get over stiles and follow footpaths on their own because they’ve practised their strength on the wall. It helps them to better balance on a bike, to trail run or go canoeing.

“I’ve climbed for physio to strengthen my weak side muscles, while people who’ve had eating disorders develop muscles and people with scoliosis learn how to balance. It automatically comes into your normal life – I can’t reach the top shelf in the kitchen but I can put my leg on the worktop and stand up. We’re finding that the balance developed in climbing gives people with vertigo or gait issues the ability to put their hands down when they fall and stop themselves rather than smacking their head. Climbing is a way of helping you move through life.”