Paradox Sports

Shelf Road 2.0 has a few spots left!

Originally planned for Spring 2024, Mother Nature had other plans, so we are returning to Shelf Road on October 4 - 6. Spots are very limited as priority registration was given to our original Shelf Road participants, so register soon. Check out
https://www.paradoxsports.org/trips/shelf/ or the link in our bio for more information!

**Please note, there has been a slight schedule change due to gym availability -- this meet-up will be in Boulder** Join us at Movement Boulder for our meet-up on August 14th from 6 - 8 pm. All abilities and experience levels are welcome to join! Registration is free, just use your membership or pay at the door. Check out https://www.paradoxsports.org/events/ or our "events" link in our bio for details and registration.

Last Call! Join us for the Outdoor Adaptive Climbing Initiative Course at Staunton State Park on August 3-4. This course is perfect for leaders in the climbing industry to learn how to accommodate climbers of all abilities.

Key topics include:

Diversity of disability
Etiquette
Health concerns
Technical systems for adaptation
Site and risk management

We also have free registration for adaptive athletes to climb with us on August 4th! For more details and to register, visit the link in our bio or check out our event page at https://www.paradoxsports.org/calendar/outdoor-aci-staunton-state-park-2/.

Join us at Movement Boulder for our meet-up on July 31st from 6 - 8 pm. All abilities and experience levels are welcome to join! Registration is free, just use your membership or pay at the door. Check out https://www.paradoxsports.org/events/ or our "events" link in our bio for details and registration.

Did you know your business can sponsor a local meet-up? Here’s how it works:

🌟 Volunteer Engagement: Your staff will act as volunteers for the event after receiving a virtual volunteer training.
🌟 Brand Visibility: Your business name will be proudly attached to the local event.
🌟 Community Sponsorship: Sponsor the community event that follows the climb – whether it’s tacos, a happy hour, yoga, or anything that aligns with your brand!

In return, we offer:

Increased Brand Awareness: Showcase your commitment to the community.
Engagement Opportunities: Connect with local climbers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Positive Impact: Support a meaningful cause and foster community spirit.

Interested in learning more? Contact us via DM or email [email protected] and let’s make a difference together!

Our local program calendar is updated through the fall! Whether you are looking for indoor or outdoor climbing, we have a ton of options to choose from -- we even have a costumed climb complete with prizes!

Click the "events" link in our bio or go to https://www.paradoxsports.org/events/ to stay up-to-date!

Interested in joining Paradox Sports on a national trip but worried about the registration fee?

We’ve got fantastic news! For the second year in a row, the incredible KAJ Memorial Foundation is helping back our adventures. Their generous support not only funds our Smith Rock trip but also keeps our Scholarship Fund thriving. This means we can offer 2-3 registration spots per program at little to no cost!

Don't let costs hold you back. Ready to apply for a scholarship? Hit the link in our bio or visit https://forms.monday.com/forms/7929da0cfe2b054c835c302abbebf8c9?r=use1 to learn more and secure your spot.

A reminder for Wednesday -- join us at Movement Englewood for our meet-up on July 17th from 6 - 8 pm. All abilities and experience levels are welcome to join! Registration is free, just use your membership or pay at the door. Check out https://www.paradoxsports.org/events/ or our "events" link in our bio for details and registration.

Join Paradox Sports at the historic birthplace of sport climbing in the US, Smith Rock! This trip will feature 2 full days of climbing and 3 nights of camping, surrounded by friends and community in the high desert of Oregon. Due to its unique volcanic geology, Smith Rock offers a massive variety of routes, from beginner-friendly to some of the country’s hardest climbs, so there is truly a climb for everyone. In addition to Smith Rock being a historic climbing venue, it’s also a gorgeous state park boasting hiking, mountain biking, camping, and fishing along the Crooked River, with scenic views throughout. Join us September 20-23rd for Paradox Sports’ second annual visit to Smith Rock.

This trip is sponsored by the KAJ Memorial Fund, honoring Carla and Bill’s son, Kyle, who passed away in a climbing accident in Germany in March 2022. One of Kyle’s life goals was to work with veterans, individuals with disabilities, and youth groups in outdoor programs, which attracted his family to Paradox Sports. “While our lives will never be the same, we are thrilled to be partnering with Paradox to achieve Kyle’s life goal of helping others while creating a lasting legacy that will keep Kyle’s bright light shining!”
For more info on the schedule, accessibility, camping, and more, please visit our trip page here: https://www.paradoxsports.org/trips-smith/ or with the link in our bio!

Join us at Movement Englewood for our meet-up this Wednesday, July from 6 - 8 pm. All abilities and experience levels are welcome to join! Registration is free, just use your membership or pay at the door. Check out https://www.paradoxsports.org/events/ or our "events" link in our bio for details and registration.

The first quarter of our Fiscal Year came to an end on June 30th so we wanted to share some stats about what we’ve been up to.

In our first quarter:
-We’ve trained 8 gyms/facilities through our Adaptive Climbing Initiative Course teaching 67 facilitators about disability etiquette and adaptive climbing systems and welcoming 45 adaptive climbers to join us to try out climbing.
-We’ve hosted 5 local meet ups between Denver, Boulder, and Golden
-We have delivered 4 Custom Programs; 3 youth climbing nights through and 1 Veteran climbing trip to City of Rocks, ID with
-We provided climbing experiences in Yosemite National Park through our national trip and spent an evening camping under the stars in Shelf Road
-Our competitive Climbing Team has competed in the IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup in Salt Lake City with some of the team traveling and competing in the European World Cup circuit
-In total, we had 221 individuals participate through all program types with 37% being new to Paradox programs

It’s been a busy quarter for us but so worth it! Thank you to all of the climbers, climbing assistants, gyms/facilities that host our ACI’s and the facilitators who attend our trainings, and donors, corporate sponsors, and grantors. Without all of you this wouldn’t be possible. We’re excited to see where the rest of the year takes us!



Photo ID’s in the comments

Join us on North Table Mountain this Wednesday, July 3rd from 5:30 - 8 pm for our third outdoor meet-up of the season. The program is free, but pre-registration is required. All experience levels and abilities are welcome! Learn more and register with the "Events" link in our bio or at https://paradoxsports.salsalabs.org/northtablejuly3/index.html

Another great outdoor meet-up is in the books! A big thank you and shout out to who came out for the whole meet-up and supplied us with their incredible, cold-pressed juice -- definitely a "don't miss" if you are in the Golden area!

Want to climb outdoors with us? Join us on North Table Mountain on Wednesday, July 3rd from 5:30 - 8 pm for our third outdoor meet-up of the season. The program is free, but pre-registration is required. All experience levels and abilities are welcome! Learn more and register with the "Events" link in our bio or at https://paradoxsports.salsalabs.org/northtablejuly3/index.html

We are hosting an open-enrollment Adaptive Climbing Initiative in Staunton State Park, August 3-4.

This Outdoor Adaptive Climbing Initiative Course at Staunton State Park is designed to prepare leaders in the climbing industry with the “tool-kit” necessary to accommodate climbers of any and all abilities in their programs or guide schools. This comprehensive training program will cover the diversity of disability, etiquette, health concerns, technical systems for adaptation, and site and risk management in a single-pitch outdoor environment. The expert anecdotes and lessons provided serve adaptive athletes, climbing wall instructors, outdoor guides, physical therapists, and well-being advocates of all types.

Spaces are limited. Registration is required.

To learn more and register, please go to the events page in our bio or visit https://www.paradoxsports.org/calendar/outdoor-aci-staunton-state-park-2/

Come learn the basics for setting up and cleaning 2-bolt sport anchors in Clear Creek on June 29th! We’ll cover base-managed top rope setup, including edge awareness, safety considerations, and risk management in the single-pitch environment. We’ll also cover leave-no-trace principles and etiquette while climbing. The cost is $25 per person and space is limited — please preregister. To learn more and register, please check out the events link in our bio or visit https://www.paradoxsports.org/calendar/paradox-skills-day-anchor-building-in-clear-creek-canyon/.

Yosemite, you were incredible -- and while the scenery and rock make Yosemite iconic, it was the crew that we rolled in with that truly made it special. A HUGE thank you to (Gigi Theocharides) and her non-profit, Outdoornista, for providing AND cooking all of the meals in honor of her father, Marine Corps SSGT William Oliver Jones. Thank you to for partnering with Gigi to ensure we had ample and nutritious food. And thank you to for once again letting us borrow your magical space for this transformational program. See you next year, Yosemite!

Missed last week's meet-up in Clear Creek? It's okay because we are going back! Join us in Clear Creek next Wednesday, June 19th from 5:30 - 8 pm for our second outdoor meet-up of the season. The program is free, but pre-registration is required. All experience levels and abilities are welcome! Learn more and register with the "Events" link in our bio or at https://paradoxsports.salsalabs.org/clearcreekjune19

Thanks for the awesome photos, !

We are excited to welcome Alex Kosseff as the Interim Executive Director, effective June 3rd. Alex brings a wealth of experience in climbing programs and non-profit leadership, most recently as the Executive Director of the American Mountain Guides Association. He is also the founder of the Outdoor Safety Institute and served in a senior management role at the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Alex’s background includes notable accomplishments in fundraising, launching new non-profit initiatives, and advocating for diversity in climbing and outdoor recreation. He has worked with adaptive athletes to make outdoor leadership courses accessible, provided training and safety consulting for adaptive recreation organizations, and has a history of supporting Paradox Sports as a donor and organizational partner. Alex’s extensive experience in program management, staff training, and risk management consulting, combined with his passion for climbing, make him an excellent choice to lead Paradox Sports during this interim period.

Please join the Board of Directors in expressing our deep gratitude to Dave Elmore for his extraordinary service and in welcoming Alex Kosseff to our community. We are on the trajectory we are today in large part due to Dave’s leadership and the exceptional staff team he built. We are confident that Alex’s leadership will continue to propel Paradox Sports forward, maintaining the momentum and growth of our programs and impact. While the staff team focuses on current operations this summer and fall, the Board will be launching and conducting a nationwide search for Paradox’s next permanent Executive Director.

We look forward to re-introducing Alex to our community at our upcoming climbing programs and events. If you are in the northern Front Range, he’ll be at the Community Climbing Night this Wednesday in Clear Creek. We hope to see you there!

Join us in Clear Creek this Wednesday from 5:30 - 8 pm for our first outdoor meet-up of the season. The weather right now is looking hot, but amazing, so keep your fingers crossed that we don't run into any thunderstorms! The program is free, but pre-registration is required. All experience levels and abilities are welcome! Learn more and register with the "Events" link in our bio or at https://paradoxsports.salsalabs.org/clearcreekjune5/index.html

Join us at Movement Boulder for our meet-up this Wednesday, May 15th from 6 - 8 pm. All abilities and experience levels are welcome to join! Registration is free, just use your membership or pay at the door. Check out https://www.paradoxsports.org/events/ or our "events" link in our bio for details and registration.

We're announcing the launch of our search for an Interim Executive Director! This marks an important step in our journey toward continued growth and success.

The Interim Executive Director role is part of our comprehensive plan as we embark on a thorough search for our permanent ED. We're committed to finding the best fit to lead us into the future.

The Interim ED job description and application can be found at https://www.paradoxsports.org/jobs/ and closes on May 10th.

Join us at Movement Englewood for our meet-up this Wednesday, May 1st from 6 - 8 pm. All abilities and experience levels are welcome to join! Registration is free, just use your membership or pay at the door. Check out https://www.paradoxsports.org/events/ or our "events" link in our bio for details and registration.

It is with mixed emotions that we announce the departure of Dave Elmore, Paradox Sports' Executive Director. Dave’s tenure with the organization has been vital to the success of the mission and Paradox Sports’ current position of strength. Dave has served the organization for nine years, serving as the Executive Director for the last five years. Dave has provided organization stability, developed and executed multiple strategic plans, grown programs, and increased the organization's overall impact. As well, Dave navigated us through the COVID-19 crisis, while also stabilizing our financial position. Prior to Dave’s tenure as Executive Director, he was a member of the Board of Directors and served as board chair.

Dave’s leadership has enabled us to expand our program ecosystem, now at its largest in the organization's history. Strategic growth has included new programs in Joshua Tree, Smith Rocks, and Lake City. As well, Dave developed our Custom Program initiative and launched the Adaptive Adventure Fund, Community Fund, and Adaptive Climbing Team. Dave has fostered key partnerships that have significantly helped advance our mission. Please join the Board of Directors in our deep gratitude to Dave for his dedication to Paradox Sports and the broader adaptive climbing community.

The Board of Directors and Executive Director are working closely together to ensure a smooth transition. Dave’s last day as Executive Director will be on May 31st, 2024. The search for an Interim Executive Director is already underway. The Interim Executive Director will be in place for at least six months while the board conducts a nationwide and comprehensive search for a permanent Executive Director.

We recognize that change can be unsettling. Our commitment and dedication to our community remains the same and the Board aims to provide transparency and updates during this process to the community. We greatly appreciate your partnership in embarking on the next chapter of Paradox Sports. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with any questions, comments, or concerns.

We still have a few spots available at Shelf Road, happening April 26th - 28th. In addition to incredible climbing, we'll be having members of The North Face product team join for the weekend as they are on the path to building universally-designed products that make their outdoor products easier for all to use. They have been working with the disability community to gain real-time feedback on prototypes, and we encourage all who feel comfortable to get to know the TNF crew and provide feedback on their projects. There is no obligation to engage with The North Face team in case you do not want to.

Register and learn more with the link in our bio or at https://www.paradoxsports.org/calendar/rock-climbing-trip-shelf-road-4/

Join us at Movement Boulder for our meet-up this Wednesday, April 17th from 6 - 8 pm followed by a happy hour at Rayback. All abilities and experience levels are welcome to join! Registration is free, just use your membership or pay at the door. Check out https://www.paradoxsports.org/events/ or our "events" link in our bio for details and registration.

We are officially in the month of Shelf Road! Want to learn more or register for this epic camping and climbing trip? Check out https://www.paradoxsports.org/calendar/rock-climbing-trip-shelf-road-4/ or the link in our bio.

It's the LAST DAY of our sweepstakes! Paradox Sports and are teaming up to provide one lucky winner with a camper van AND $80,000 worth of customizations -- enter between now and the end of the sweepstakes on April 1st and receive 50% more entries for free! In the event that we don't reach the minimum, you won't get the van, but you will get a nice chunk of money (dependent upon how many entries we have)!

Combining adventure and luxury, this will be YOUR van -- fit to your lifestyle. Whether you desire to take your family on an adventure, reach destinations you previously thought were inaccessible, or take your work on the road and tour the country, Rossmönster can make your dreams a reality.

https://www.tapkat.org/paradox-sports/49oRbk?promo=POPUP or click the link in our bio!

It's the last two weeks of our sweepstakes! Paradox Sports and are teaming up to provide one lucky winner with a camper van AND $80,000 worth of customizations -- enter between now and the end of the sweepstakes on April 1st and receive 50% more entries for free! In the event that we don't reach the minimum, you won't get the van, but you will get a nice chunk of money (dependent upon how many entries we have)!

Combining adventure and luxury, this will be YOUR van -- fit to your lifestyle. Whether you desire to take your family on an adventure, reach destinations you previously thought were inaccessible, or take your work on the road and tour the country, Rossmönster can make your dreams a reality.

https://www.tapkat.org/paradox-sports/49oRbk?promo=POPUP or click the link in our bio!

Although most of you probably know him already, meet Erich Meinig, our newest Paradox Ambassador! Born and raised in Colorado, Erich has always been outdoors so when a car accident left him burned at the age of three, his parents spent no time getting him involved in outside activities. From skiing to dogsledding to mountain biking, Erich eventually started climbing at 14 and then found out there were other adaptive climbers like him when he saw a thread on Mountain Project about one-armed belaying that Mo Beck posted in. From there, he started climbing with Paradox in the Spring of 2015 and has been with us ever since (well, except for when he mysteriously disappeared to go live in Boston for a few years but we don't talk about that (Editorial note: Erich is being modest and was attending MIT). Erich is beyond excited to keep bringing stoke to his fellow adaptive climbers and get new participants involved in the sport.

Besides climbing, Erich loves to mountain bike, read sci-fi books, and cuddle his big fluffy Berner named Emmy!