Former youth national champion and a fixture on the USA Climbing youth and open competition scene since she was thirteen, Maya Madere has long been captivated by seemingly opposing faces of rock climbing: the focused intensity and adrenaline of competition, and the intimate learning and limitless possibility of the outdoors.

While competition climbing isn’t her sole focus anymore, it is the foundation of her career. She attributes her playful attitude and people-orientation to thirteen years spent in climbing’s competition community. When she started out as a 13 year old in Austin, Texas, she skewed more introverted and driven. “A lot of the perception of rock climbing is that it’s an individual pursuit, that you do far off in the mountains. But my path through climbing has been totally driven by those around me.” The ecosystem created by family, friends, fellow-competitors, coaches, route setters, and mentor figures generated a current that has carried her happily into life today as a professional athlete, with a computer science degree she hopes to never have to rely on. Constructive competition and a drive to improve keep her focused, but it’s the joy of movement and the strength of community that bring her back to both crag and comp wall year after year. Her ultimate goal is to “have as much fun as possible at all times” and to prove that that is not incompatible with crushing.

Achievements

• European Human Being, RMNP, CO, V12
• Still Life, New River Gorge, WV, 5.14b
• First female ascent, Weekend at Bernie’s, Lake Tahoe, CA, 5.14b
• US Open National Team, 2021, 2022
• B.S. in Computer Science, Stanford, 2022
• 2nd, Youth Worlds (FJR bouldering), 2017
• 1st, USAC Youth Nationals (FYA bouldering), 2016