The hands that built Melissaās entire sport, business, and life were taken from her in an accidental instant.
Her story explores what came next: the mental tools she invented to survive, the small triumphs that felt enormous, and the athletic determination it took to find her way back to the rock.
Melissa's memoir, Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing and Second Chances, is also the spring pick for Grit Lit, our adventure book club. Join by May 7th to get Melissa's book in your next box.
Melissa Strong is a sponsored rock climber, writer, and restaurant owner based in Estes Park, Colorado, and El Paso, Texas. She's the founder and owner of two acclaimed Estes Park restaurants, Bird & Jim and The Bird's Nest, and together with her husband owns Wagon Wheel Co-op, a guiding concession in Hueco Tanks State Park.
Melissa and Angie talk about:
- Finding rock climbing at 26 after realizing she couldn't run half a mile
- Becoming a sponsored climber in an era before climbing gyms were on every corner
- The near-fatal accident that severely burned her hands
- Seeing a forest and tunnel during her near-death experience
- The "closet of boxes" self-coaching tool she invented in the hospital
- Having her arms literally sewn together for three weeks to rebuild skin
- Tapping into her athlete's mindset to push through recovery
- Why women need to stop shouldering everything and give themselves a break
See Her Outside is partnering withā Western Colorado University's Outdoor Industry MBAā ā a remote degree program built for people who want to lead, build, and create in the outdoor space. If you've ever thought about building a career or business in the outdoor industry, WCU's Outdoor Industry MBA was made for you.
š Join the Grit Lit Adventure Book Club to read Melissaās book this spring and enjoy other woman-created goodies!
Check out these resources:
š Melissaās book - Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing and Second Chances
šļø Melissaisstrong.com
āØ Melissa on Instagram
ā”ļø The Cairn Project on IG
āØ The Cairn Project's newsletter
š„¾ Become a Trailblazer
š
Summit Scholarship Foundation
šā Western Colorado University Outdoor Industry MBAā
Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!
You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond
Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don't miss a story!
ā Follow on Spotifyā
ā Subscribe on Apple Podcastsā
Listen on:ā Amazonā ,ā Pocket Castsā ,ā iHeartRadioā ,ā other platformsā
