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The hands that built Melissa’s 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.
Originally from the Boston area, Melissa came to climbing in her mid-twenties and has since traveled the world for the sport while writing for publications like Climbing Magazine, Urban Climber, and Rock and Ice. Her memoir tells the story of the near-fatal electric injury that changed everything, and the long road of healing.
📚Join the Grit Lit Adventure Book Club to read Melissa’s book this spring and enjoy other woman-created goodies!
Melissa and Angie talked 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 with Western Colorado University’s Outdoor Industry MBA — 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.
Check out these resources:
- 📖 Melissa’s book – Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing and Second Chances
- 🏔️ Melissaisstrong.com
- ✨ Melissa on Instagram
- ➡️ The Cairn Project on IG
- ✨ The Cairn Project’s newsletter
- 🥾Become a Trailblazer📅Summit Scholarship Foundation
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You can help us close the gender gap outdoors and beyond:
- Become a Trailblazer. Your Adventure Fundraiser makes wilderness experiences possible for girls and women.
- Check out the Summit Scholarship Foundation.
- Join our book club, Grit Lit.
- Share this episode with a friend or family member.
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The Cairn Project
Mobilizing to empower young women in the outdoors through grantmaking.