Rachael Taylor is an avid beginner climber and a mother of two boys who share her passion for climbing. She is also an Australian Olympian and ex-professional athlete who won a silver medal in the women’s coxless pair at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. After retiring from Olympic-level sports, Rach pursued her love for adventure, challenge and excitement and she now gets her fix through climbing.

After coming to the sport relatively late in life, Rach considers herself to still be somewhat of a ‘wanna be climber’. Rach loves to explore the many climbing spots in Western Australia, and she enjoys sharing climbing and bouldering experiences with her sons and good friends.

Her passion for climbing led her to create IWannaBeAClimber.com, a website that offers genuine expertise, wisdom, and advice for beginners who, like Rachael, aspire to become climbers. Her inspiration for climbing comes from her love for nature, sense of adventure, and the physical and mental challenges it offers. She is thrilled to share this epic climbing journey with her two boys and is dedicated to helping others achieve their climbing dreams through her website.

Korey Tockes is an avid rock climber and writer pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. He shares his passion for climbing as a writer for HMH Outdoors’ publication ‘Harness’ and as the Senior Content Writer for iwannabeaclimber.com.

With just under a decade of experience, Korey worked as a climbing instructor and coach and has climbed in various locations across the US. His favorite place to climb is in the Wind River Range in Wyoming.

Korey’s extensive travels and outdoor experience enrich his writing and allow him to connect with readers through his love for climbing.

Patrick King is a UK climber, now Australian-based, who has lived and breathed the sport for over two decades. His love for climbing was sparked during his early teenage years, and it has since become a major driving force in his life.

Patrick is a rock climber who initially took up the sport reluctantly. A friend of his had been taken climbing by some mutual associates, and Pat’s name was raised as a potential prospect. Despite not having the typical “Boy Scout” vibe, Patrick found himself immediately engaged by the mental and physical focus required to perform the choreography of indoor rock climbing.

From there, Patrick’s progression in climbing was unstoppable. He found that the sport amplified all aspects of his existence and allowed him to meet amazing people and visit far out places. His career path eventually had synergy with his climbing lifestyle (Pat is a Level 3 Rope Access Technician), and through climbing he was introduced to other extreme sports activities.

Beyond climbing, Patrick is a lover of all things outdoors. He enjoys camping, hiking, and surfing, and he believes that nature is the perfect playground for the adventurous at heart.

As a young well-trained athlete, Kirilee Wood had excelled in various sports, including tennis, equestrian riding, fell running, and paragliding. Despite her athletic prowess, she never considered climbing until she befriended a group of climbers in the Lake District, UK. Inspired by their passion and expertise, Kirilee began climbing in 1989 and quickly became addicted. She climbed with high-level and elite climbers in the UK, Australia, and around the world, tackling everything from easy routes to steep, challenging climbs.

Kirilee’s fear of climbing led her to develop her ability to choose routes that suited her, eventually becoming experienced enough to teach and coach others. Climbing has become an all-consuming lifestyle for her and her climbing friends of more than three decades. Even in temporary retirement now in Australia as a single mother, Kirilee plans to return to climbing and loves to reminisce about the hilarious, hairy, and rich experiences she had in her younger years.

Through climbing, Kirilee has learned to trust herself and make solid commitments, no matter the grade or difficulty. Climbing never stops being scary for those who constantly seek to be out of their comfort zone, and that is the appeal. For Kirilee, climbing has become a lifelong passion that has taken her to beautiful and wild places around the world.