5 CU Boulder climbers to compete in international competition

BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — A group of University of Colorado Boulder students are aiming to reach a new height. Five athletes on the climbing team now have the opportunity to travel and compete at a high level.

For as long as Matthew Sherman and his four teammates can remember, they have loved the sport of climbing.

“All five of us started climbing when we were in the 11 to 13-year range, and we competed in the youth circuit trying to qualify for the biggest events we could,” said Sherman.

He has seen the sport grow over time.

“Over the past 5 to 10 years I’ve kind of gotten to watch the sport grow from that little thing I did as a summer camp to this big sport that has these teams,” Sherman said.

Every two years, the International University Sports Federation organizes the ‘World University Games’, which is being held in Koper, Slovenia this year.

“It’s kind of the top-level thing you can qualify for,” said Sherman.

30 competitors are chosen as part of the USA Climbing Collegiate Climbing Series.

This year CU Boulder had 44 team members compete with five athletes qualifying. It’s the most members the university has ever sent to a world-level competition.

“It’s really just a culmination of all of our work we put in,” said Sherman. “All the time we put into the climbing community, ranging from working as coaches to just being in the gym.”

Sherman said due to the current status of climbing as a sport, there is no funding coming from the university or USA Climbing to help the athletes travel and compete.

“We’ve been trying to raise some money,” said Sherman. “We’re doing different things, hosting a kind of mock competition at a local facility to give back. If people can help to give a bit of money to fund us there, that’ll be great.”

They’ve also started a GoFundMe to help with the costs for the unique opportunity.

“Each of us have sacrificed a lot of summers, a lot of breaks going on training trips. It’s really a culmination of all that work and the opportunity to represent our school and the USA,” Sherman said

The competition is scheduled for Sept. 9-12.

A fundraiser has been set up to help the athletes compete.

Sherman said he would like nothing more than for others to try the sport of climbing.

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