Former child prodigy climber Ashima Shiraishi comes from the most unexpected of backgrounds: she was born in the concrete jungle of New York City to Japanese artist immigrants — a Butoh dancer and a fashion designer — and discovered climbing at age six at Central Park’s Rat Rock. Not long after, Ashima quickly caught the attention of the climbing world when she became the youngest person to climb a V10 in Hueco Tanks at just age eight, at age 9 was the youngest to climb a V12, at 14 the youngest female to climb a V14 and the first female to climb a V15 at the same age as the grade. Ever since then, she has been breaking barriers in climbing, on and off the wall.

One of her biggest motivators is to make climbing a more inclusive sport, and in 2020 Ashima founded AllRise—’an experimental program in the world of DEI’—in conjunction with Braindead and Long Beach Rising. She has always been breaking the mould of what it means to be a climber; she’s noted for her unique style that blends urban with nature, thrifted vintage with technical gear and regularly shares her passion as a foodie, seamstress, amateur photographer and writer (she also authored children’s book, How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion).

Now a first year student at UCLA studying neuroscience and environmental science, Ashima is no longer a mere child prodigy but a world class climber and creative who is paving the path for a new generation of climbers and youth to come.

Achievements

• Youngest person to climb a V10 (Power of Silence) at age 8, youngest person to climb a V12 (Martini Right) at age 9
• World's youngest to send V13 (10 years old)
• World's youngest to send 5.14c (11 years old)
• Youngest female to send V14 (Golden Shadow, South Africa) and only the second officially recorded female climber to successfully send a V14
• First female to climb V15: Horizon
• TEDx Teen 2016: London talk, “Just Climb Through It”
• GQ, “The Anointed Ones: The 10 Greatest Athletes of the Future” 2017
• Time Magazine’s 30 most Influential Teens of 2015
• Forbes 30 Under 30 2016 lister
• Six Youth World Championships (lead climbing and bouldering)
• 2017 USA Climbing Sport Open National Champion
• 2019 USA Climbing Bouldering Open National Champion
• Author of “How to Solve a Problem”, 2020
• Co-founder of AllRise, 2020