Emily Harrington facts for kids
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Emily Harrington in 2015
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| Born | August 17, 1986 Boulder, Colorado |
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| Occupation | Professional rock climber | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Adrian Ballinger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Climbing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type of climber | Sport climbing, Big wall climbing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest grade |
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Medal record
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| Updated on January 5, 2023. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Emily Harrington (born August 17, 1986) is an amazing American professional rock climber and mountaineer. She has won the US National Championship in sport climbing five times! Emily also came in second place at the 2005 World Championships. She was the first woman to free climb several very difficult routes, rated 5.14 (8b+).
Contents
Emily's Early Life
Emily Harrington was born on August 17, 1986, in Boulder, Colorado. From a young age, she loved to compete. This helped her become a great climber.
She started by climbing on artificial walls. Emily also joined her local gym's climbing team. Soon, she became a professional sport climber. Later, she began climbing real rocks and mountains.
Emily studied international affairs at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She finished her studies in 2007. In 2008, she joined The North Face climbing team.
Emily's Climbing Adventures
Emily Harrington has been the US National Champion in sport climbing five times. She won in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009. She also won the North American Sport Climbing Champion title twice. In 2005, she placed second at the IFSC Climbing World Championships.
In 2006, Emily won first place at the Serre Chevalier Invitational. She also won the Ouray Ice Festival in 2012.
Climbing Mount Everest
In 2012, Emily was asked to join a special trip. It was with The North Face and National Geographic. They planned to climb Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain. This trip started her career as a mountain climber.
Emily successfully reached the top of Mount Everest in 2012. She also summited Cho Oyu in 2016. Cho Oyu is another very tall mountain.
Challenging Peaks and Big Walls
In 2014, Emily tried to climb Hkakabo Razi. This is the tallest peak in Southeast Asia. Only one team had climbed it before. Emily's team wanted to find a new way up.
She reached the last part of the climb to the top. Emily said this part was "extremely difficult" and "extremely scary." In the end, she decided to turn back for safety.
In November 2020, Emily made an amazing climb. She became the fourth woman to free-climb the Golden Gate route on El Capitan. This huge granite wall is 3,000 ft (910 m) tall. She did it all in one day!
It took her 21 hours, 13 minutes, and 51 seconds. Her friend Alex Honnold helped her. The year before, she fell 50 feet while practicing. She had to be rescued. During her 2020 climb, Emily slipped again. She got a cut on her forehead but kept going.
Emily was the first woman to free climb Golden Gate on El Capitan in under 24 hours. Some news reports first said she was the "first woman" to free climb the mountain in under 24 hours. This was corrected later. Other women like Lynn Hill, Steph Davis, and Mayan Smith-Gobat had already free-climbed other routes on El Capitan in under 24 hours.
In 2021, Emily achieved another first. She was the first person to free climb The American Way route by herself. This route is on Pik Slesova in Kyrgyzstan.
Media and Sponsors
Emily Harrington has been featured in many popular magazines and shows. These include National Geographic's Adventure blog and Rock & Ice Magazine. She has also been on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and Outside Magazine.
Emily has sponsors who support her climbing. These include The North Face, La Sportiva, and Petzl.
Major Climbs and Expeditions
- 2012 – Reached the top of Mount Everest with The North Face team.
- 2013 – Summited Mount Ama Dablam.
- 2015 – Free climbed 'Golden Gate' on El Capitan (a very hard route with 40 sections).
- 2016 – Climbed Cho Oyu quickly with Adrian Ballinger.
- 2017 – Free climbed Solar Flare (a difficult route) with Alex Honnold.
- 2020 – Free climbed El Capitan via Golden Gate in one day.
- 2021 – First person to free climb The American Way route on Pik Slesova by herself.
Awards and Achievements
- US National Sport Climbing Champion (5 times)
- North American Sport Climbing Champion (2 times)
- 2005 World Champion-Runner Up
- 2006 Serre Chevalier Invitational Champion
- 2012 Ouray Ice Festival Champion
- 2013 Ouray Ice Festival, 3rd place
Emily's Personal Life
Emily has been with Adrian Ballinger since 2012. They met while climbing Mount Everest. They got married on December 11, 2021, in Ecuador.
Emily and Adrian live in Olympic Valley, California. They welcomed their child, Aaro Storm, on November 25, 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Emily Harrington para niños
