Climbing to New Heights: The Adaptive Climbing Program at the University of Victoria

When you think of rock climbing, you might picture people scaling natural rock outdoors or tackling indoor walls, pushing their limits against gravity. For individuals with disabilities, however, climbing often seems out of reach.

That all changed in the fall of 2023 when Clinton Thomas, the Climbing Program Coordinator at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Athletics and Special Abilities (CARSA), launched the Adaptive Climbing Program. Clinton’s vision was to break down the barriers that have traditionally limited access to climbing for people of all abilities, creating opportunities for everyone to experience the sport.

The journey to create this inclusive program began in the fall of 2022, when Clinton started speaking with physiotherapists, coaches, and members of the community. It quickly became clear that the Victoria area lacked opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in sports consistently. “Individuals living with a disability are only able to sporadically try climbing; I wanted to create something that would allow people to grow and learn over the long term,” Clinton shares.

Determined to change this, Clinton and his team launched the adaptive climbing program in the fall of 2023, with the vision of offering a long-term space for both children and adults with disabilities to grow, learn, and experience the joy of climbing. The goal was not only to provide a space for participants to try climbing, but to give them the opportunity to work on their skills, set goals, and progress over time.

The program received the viaSport Community Sport Program Development Fund in 2023. This funding helped the program purchase specialized equipment to support a range of abilities, ensuring that everyone, regardless of physical limitation, could access the climbing experience.

From the very first session, the response was overwhelmingly positive. The team behind the program—staff and volunteers alike—fell in love with the experience of facilitating adaptive climbing. “Once we got up and running, I began receiving countless emails and phone calls from people eager to get involved,” Clinton shares. “The momentum has just kept building, and now we have growing waitlists for the program.”

Now, the program offers two free key components: the Adaptive Kids Climbing Club, a 6-week series for children, and an Adult Adaptive Climbing Program, which runs every week in a drop-in style.

The impact on the community has been profound. Beyond learning the technical skills of climbing, participants are gaining confidence, building friendships, and experiencing the thrill of reaching new heights—both literally and figuratively. The program is not only breaking down barriers but also creating opportunities for individuals who, in the past, were excluded from climbing opportunities.

For Clinton and his team, it’s a privilege to offer these opportunities to the community. “The climbing world has historically forgotten about many different groups of people,” he says. “Our goal is to flip that idea on its head and do everything we can to allow anyone who wishes to try climbing with us.” Clinton and his team hope to inspire other organizations to create inclusive and accessible sports programs, ensuring that more people—regardless of ability—can get involved and experience the life-changing benefits of climbing.