Emma Joing

Text by ANYA MONDRAGON and

SOPHIE MATLOF

KNOWS THE ROPES

CLIMBER PERSISTS

PANDEMIC CLIMBING — Joing scales a homemade rock climbing wall in the backyard of her IN PANDEMIC friend’s house in Sunnyvale.“I have to be ready to commit to things because there’s some moves that you have to jump and stuff, and that’s really stressful,” Joing said. Photo: Audrey Joachim

CLINGING TO THE CURVED who are all so good,” Joing said. “All the Joing brings her can-do attitude to her wall of the climbing gym with stress leaves and I just remember why I like job at Planet Granite. On top of three-hour the tips of her chalk-dusted fin- climbing so much.” practices three days a week and indepengers on two blue holds, Palo Alto In 2014, the same year that she began dent workouts, Joing works as a climbing High School junior Emma Joing is careful rock climbing, Joing underwent knee sur- coach for the beginner rock climbing team. to take her time — the holds are all that gery due to her hip dysplasia and dislocated “I got to foster their love for climbing anchor her against a plummet to the floor. knee cap. and show them the ropes literally and figuWith effortless grace, as seen in the video of Joing at the 2017 Reno Competition, she swings her legs up to perch her feet onto a blue rock in line with her hands. She pauses and shifts her position to shake out her fingers, keeping her eyes on the final “All the stress just leaves and I remember why I like climbing so Because of her physical limitations, Joing adapted innovative strategies for climbing. “I climb differently than my friends do ratively,” Joing said. The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered climbing gyms across the country, including the Bay Area. blue hold marked with the number 25. “It’s funny because when people ask me what a climbing competition looks like, because they can maneuver their hips more than I can,” Joing said. much.” — EMMA JOING, junior However, the setback has not deterred Joing from pursuing her the first thing that they think of is that it’s “So I try to be creative passion. She continues speed,” Joing said. “But that’s actually com- in the way I do climbs.” to practice on her own or socially distanced pletely false.” Joing believes that creativity is just as with a select few teammates either in her

As the video continues, she uses her crucial as strength training for winning garage or at her friend’s mini rock climbing arms, conditioned from hours of weekly competitions. wall in Sunnyvale. rock climbing practices, to leap up and grab “Rock climbing needs mental strength, “I have these people that I’m not as conthe final hold, receiving enthusiastic cheers from the audience. Joing is one of 10 high school students on “It’s about climbing smart versus climbing strong.” not just physical,” Joing said. “It’s about climbing smart versus just climbing strong.” nected to anymore because I don’t see them as often,” Joing said. Joing has maintained a passion for climbing her whole life, and she plans to continue the sport through college. Alher competitive rock — EMMA JOING, junior Joing’s positive though she takes her time on climbs, it took climbing team at Plan- mindset is appar- her no time at all to realize that she would et Granite in Sunnyvale ent to those around love the sport forever. and has qualified for the United States her, including her Planet Granite teammate “When I started doing it, I couldn’t Youth Nationals Climbing Competition Alexandra Merrem. believe people did rock climbing as a sport twice. “Emma is super supportive, really cheer- and that I could just do this every single

“I see all these girls from all over the ful all the time,” Merrem said. “She will al- day,” Joing said. “Now I have an outlet for country [at the Nationals Competition], ways be there ready to work hard.” this joy that I have.” v 36 OCTOBER 2020