Kirin Guinto started rock climbing five years ago after quitting gymnastics. She originally started because her sister was already taking classes at Planet Granite and it was close to her house, but only a few months in, she really fell in love. After a year, she realized she could go far and she began to get serious.

Kirin’s love for the sport continues to grow as it presents new challenges and obstacles. “Climbing is a sport that has no limits or boundaries, so no matter how good you are, there is always a challenge in climbing,” Kirin exclaims. “I get this kind of endless desire to keep working hard to be better from the sport, which is why I’ve stuck with it for so long, and don’t ever see myself stopping.” After starting from the age of 12 Kirin says she has never found something she loves as much as rock climbing.

Rock climbing is an ancient sport, but we don’t know the exact time it actually started. According to BBC, it was a recreational activity starting at the end of the 1800s. Climbing is broken into four categories: Mountain, Ice, Bouldering, and Rock. All of these use similar muscle groups even with being quite different. In the 1940s, climbing competitions started, emerged into world competitions, and were eventually added as an olympic sport in 2011.

Kirin talks about how d.tech encourages students to take on ambitious projects and take advantage of opportunities. She adds on by saying,”I am surrounded by other students that are pursuing projects I previously thought to be well beyond the capabilities of a highschool student, and it has taught me to embrace the challenges of my ambitions, and not to hesitate to pursue them.” When thinking about her role at d.tech, Kirin shares that she wants to teach others about her diverse experiences and knowledge. She continues by saying, “I feel like a lot of what I do at the school is leadership-based, so I hope that my effort inspires others to take initiative, and implement their own passions into the community.” This motivated Kirin to start her intersession class so she could teach others to explore different interests just like she did with rock climbing. Without d.tech’s support, Kirin would never have the courage to start her own intersession. “I never thought it would be a possibility, because I didn’t feel that I was responsible enough to independently manage my own class. My time at d.tech taught me that running this class actually is something I can succeed in doing, and that I should not underestimate my personal capabilities.”

“I hope that in taking the rock climbing course, students will develop a deeper understanding of not only the sport, but their personal capabilities both mentally and physically. I also hope that this class inspires students to be less hesitant to find new interests by trying a diverse range of activities.”

Kirin Guinto is Climbing up the Walls | Student Spotlight

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