“My life literally flashed before my eyes,” Shaw Zimmerman said. “It felt like time slowed. I knew that whatever would happen to me I wouldn’t be the same.”

Shaw Zimmerman, a sophomore at Fossil Ridge High School was one of the top climbers in the area, placing third, second, and first in divisionals multiple times in rock climbing during 2019-2022. Even earning a trip to New York to compete in Nationals. 

His passion for rock climbing began at a very young age.

“My parents have been rock climbing their entire life, and when I was about two, they introduced me. I’ve just been climbing for teams ever since,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman began climbing at Miramont, a local gym in Fort Collins. After five years, steadily getting better, he moved to Ascent, a different local rock climbing gym. After three years his coach relocated. Zimmerman had to face a major decision: stay in Fort Collins, where he had lived his entire life, or move to follow his coach and pursue climbing at a professional level. He chose to follow his passion. He was 14, still dealing with trying to find new friends and identity in his middle school years.

He says climbing was very helpful for his physical and mental health. It gave him goals, meaning and purpose, something to chase and grow better in. Making the accident even harder to adapt from.

“The hardest part however was climbing in front of crowds, especially when you lose. The pressure is all on you. You want to do the best for your coaches and team,” Zimmerman said.

He explained what the training was like and what it took to go pro.

“Training almost every day. I went to a climbing gym for like two to three hours a day for like six, about six days a week, only one rest day, and then just climbing for a ton of teams, getting… more and more experience throughout the years,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman was climbing not just walls and rocks, he was climbing the ranks of the sport and just as he was hitting his peak the accident happened.

“I thought I was him or something, became way too overconfident. One time I was climbing a boulder and slipped. Although I was harnessed in, it didn’t stop me from injury. My knee slammed into the rock, It was the worst pain I ever felt. My entire growth plate was permanently injured. That was the end of it, I had to stop climbing. That was the end of it,” Zimmerman said.

The experience was very hard for him and he hopes to go back to climbing someday.

“I miss having, like a sport to do because it really stopped me from doing any other sports too. I definitely miss being with a team and having something to do after school,” Zimmerman said.

He explains that you need to not take for granted your health and ability to do sports.

“That’s why you have to be thankful for your health and ability, so many people dream about being able to do things that they can’t.”