Kai Lightner facts for kids
Kai Lightner (born August 21, 1999) is a super talented American rock climber. He is known for winning many competitions and for helping make rock climbing a sport for everyone. Kai is from Fayetteville, North Carolina.
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Kai's Amazing Climbing Journey
How Kai Started Climbing
When Kai Lightner was just six years old, he did something amazing. He climbed a 50-foot flagpole in his hometown! A woman who saw him told his mom about a local climbing gym. This was the start of Kai's climbing adventure.
Just four years later, Kai won his first big national climbing competition. He was already showing how skilled he was at a young age.
Becoming a Champion Climber
In 2014, when Kai was 14 or 15, he won a gold medal. This was at the Youth World Championships in New Caledonia. He became the first young American to win the "Lead World Champion" title since 1995!
The next year, in 2015, Kai became the Open Lead Climbing National Champion. He was only 15 years old. This was his first time being old enough to compete in that category. In 2017, he won the Lead Open Nationals again in Denver, Colorado.
Overall, Kai has won 10 national titles for young climbers. He also earned 5 medals at the Youth World Championships.
Making Climbing Welcoming for Everyone
Kai Lightner also works hard to make rock climbing more diverse. This means he wants more people from different backgrounds to feel welcome in the sport.
In 2020, Kai started a group called Climbing for Change (C4C). The goal of C4C is to create chances for people of color to try climbing. This includes climbing in gyms and outdoors.
Kai believes that if more people see climbers like him, climbing will become a sport for everyone. He noted that many people think of climbing as "a white sport." He wants to change that idea.
Kai in Films and College
In 2016, Kai Lightner was in a film called Young Guns. He was featured alongside another famous climber, Ashima Shiraishi. This film was part of the Reel Rock Film Tour.
In 2020, Kai was studying at Babson College.
Kai's Toughest Outdoor Climbs
Kai Lightner has completed some incredibly difficult climbs outdoors. These climbs are known for being very challenging.
- Ciudad de Dios (5.14d/5.15a) in Santa Linya, Spain
- Direct Into Your Fabelita (5.14d) in Santa Linya, Spain
- Death of Villains (5.15a) in Hurricave, Utah
- Life of Villains (5.14d) in Hurricave, Utah
- Era Vella (5.14c/d) in Margalef, Spain
- Lucifer (5.14c) and Southern Smoke (5.14c) in the Red River Gorge
