When Paul Martin stepped onto the walls of the Paraclimbing World Championships in South Korea, it wasn’t just another competition—it was the culmination of months of dedication and determination. Representing the United States in his first-ever world championship, Martin found himself part of a global community united by both their disabilities and their love for climbing.
“It meant a lot to join my teammates and competitors on an international stage,” Martin said. “Sharing meals and climbing just for fun in between competition rounds with friends from Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Norway, Japan, and others was something I’d never done before.”
Despite living more than an hour from the nearest climbing gym in Rapid City, Martin dedicated countless weekends to training with his coach. During the week, he focused on strength training and mental preparation. His “one try” mindset became essential: “In competition, you only get one shot, so you have to be committed to executing every move,” he explained.
Ranked first in his category in the U.S., Martin faced a humbling yet inspiring experience at the World Championships, finishing seventh overall. Competing against some of the strongest climbers in the world pushed him to reimagine what was possible.
“Having one arm, there’s a tendency to look at a move and think ‘that just won’t be possible for me,’ which is sometimes true,” he shared. “But I saw teammates and competitors who showed me my limit is much farther away than I thought.”
Martin credits much of his journey to fellow climber Matt Lynch, who first encouraged him to compete. “He gave me my first paraclimbing pointers and told me I’d qualify for the national team if I tried,” Martin said. “I thought he was just hyping me up, but he was right!”
As both an athlete and a teacher, Martin sees parallels between the inclusive spirit of paraclimbing and the concept of differentiation in education. “Paraclimbing is a great example of what can happen when organizations design fair opportunities for everyone to succeed,” he said. “We all have a chance to both do well and drive each other to be better.”
When it comes to his climbing style, Martin describes it as dynamic, slow, and methodical—a balance of power and precision. His pump-up song for the competition was “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters, fittingly popular in Korea.
Instead of bringing lucky items, Martin started a new tradition: collecting signatures from fellow climbers on a cloth shaped like the Korean flag. “A friend back home is sewing it into a chalk bag,” he said. “I hope to do the same at future competitions and maybe use the signed chalk bags for fundraisers.”
As for his dream climbing destination, Martin hopes to someday visit the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, home of the Adaptive Climber’s Festival—an event that first inspired his interest in paraclimbing.
After long days on the wall, Martin keeps his recovery simple and nutritious: salmon with rice.
From local competitions to the world stage, Paul Martin continues to prove that with determination and community, there are no limits to how far you can climb.