By Sharon Bennett, featuring Katie Jo Myers
Climbing is more than just a sport. It is a source of strength, hope, and community for many. In this installment of For the Love of Climbing, I am honored to share the inspiring journey of Katie Jo Myers, whose path to becoming a professional climber and photographer was forged through perseverance, heartbreak, and an unyielding love for the rocks. Her story reminds us how climbing can transform lives in profoundly meaningful ways.
“It was early March 2018,” Katie Jo Myers begins, “I was sitting at LAX, clutching a one-way ticket to London and a stuffed moose for good luck. I was 35 and about to leave a stable career to chase a dream of becoming a professional climber and photographer.”
Most people might say that was late to start such a journey. Katie agrees. “I knew it was risky, maybe foolish. I expected failure. But I took a deep breath and boarded the plane.”
A Late Start With a Lifelong Spark
Her introduction to climbing came a decade earlier. “At 25, fresh out of college, I was managing a gymnastics gym. One day, the owner told us they were building climbing walls. I had never thought about climbing before. It blew my mind.”
She volunteered to help build the walls overnight and was hooked. “Climbing quickly became my favorite hobby.” But life took her overseas for an MBA program, and climbing was forgotten for three years.
Finding Climbing at a Dark Crossroads
Back in Los Angeles at 28, Katie’s life was difficult. “I was working in entertainment finance but struggling with an unhealthy relationship, family addiction, and depression. One night, driving home on Mulholland Drive, I seriously considered ending my life.”
She recalls, “I pulled over and cried. I knew I needed help. And then I remembered climbing.”
That very day, Katie discovered a climbing gym near her work. “Walking in, I felt like I was home. The community welcomed me. Climbing gave me strength I did not know I had.”
Climbing as a Metaphor for Life
Katie explains, “Climbing taught me perseverance and self-belief. Before, cliffs meant an end. Now, I wondered, ‘Can I get to the top?’ Climbing reawakened my will to live.”
One day, she took a group of women climbing for the first time. “Afterward, one woman sat alone, crying. She said, ‘I did not think I could survive my divorce, but reaching the top today made me know I would.’”
“That moment shook me. Climbing was not just a sport. It was hope, strength, and community.”
The Long Climb Toward a Dream
Katie worked seven years balancing finance, climbing jobs, improving as an athlete and photographer, and building sponsorships. “If I was going to go pro, I had to be brave.”
Then tragedy struck. “Before Christmas 2017, a close friend and mentor died suddenly. It devastated me. Life is fragile.”
She told her mom she was quitting her job and moving to Europe. “I expected resistance, but she said, ‘Buy the plane ticket. I know you can do it.’”
Taking the Leap
Katie smiles recalling those months. “Terrified and excited, I traveled eight countries, survived on ramen, hostels, and kindness of strangers. I was not climbing my best, but I started landing sponsorships and gigs. My dream came true.”
A New Home, A Growing Community
Now 42, Katie lives in Mountain Home, Arkansas. “The climbing scene here is booming. I am developing routes, coaching, and helping connect brands with youth scholarships. Climbing gave me so much. I want to give back.”
Lessons Learned Along the Way
Looking back, Katie shares what she wishes she could tell her younger self. “I wish she knew she was strong and valuable, even in her darkest moments. Climbing helped me discover that strength within.”
When asked how climbing reshaped her view of failure, she reflects, “I used to see failure as the end of the road. Climbing taught me that every fall is just part of the journey forward. If you keep trying, you are never truly failing.”
Climbing also helped her reclaim a lost part of herself. “It brought back my confidence, my voice, and my joy. It made me feel curious and adventurous again like a kid seeing the world for the first time.”
Leaving for Europe was a mix of emotions. “I was full of doubts but proud of my bravery. It was scary, but also thrilling to take that leap.”
There were moments when she almost turned back. “When my mentor Gil passed away, it reminded me that life is about the journey, not just success. That thought gave me the courage to keep going.”
One moment changed everything. “Sitting with a woman who told me climbing gave her hope during her divorce made me realize climbing is not just a sport. It is healing, community, and strength.”
Now, Katie sees success differently. “It is not a fixed outcome but a mindset about being open to learning, growing, and trying, no matter what.”
And one part of her story she feels many do not hear. “Those seven years juggling two jobs while quietly chasing my dream. Big changes do not happen overnight. They take patience, persistence, and a lot of hard work.”
Katie’s journey shows how climbing can transform lives, teaching strength, hope, and community. Stories like hers reveal the power of connection, not only to the outdoors but to the communities we build around shared passion and trust. These bonds create space for healing, growth, and belonging. As Arkansas’s climbing world grows, Katie invites others to discover the same gift she found, one climb at a time.
Follow Katie Myers on her Instagram Account: @katiejo.myers
Read the August installment of For the Love of Climbing.
All photos courtesy of Katie Myers. Title photo taken in Cinque Torri, Dolomites, Italy.
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!
