BROOMFIELD, Colo. — After a decade of clinging to rocks with chalk staining her fingers, Cail Soria knows a good thing when she's got it.
"I just feel totally present when I'm up on the wall," Soria said.
Nothing can keep Soria from climbing, not even a life-changing fall.
"Six years ago, I was in a rock climbing accident and took a bad fall and the amputation was the result of a long-term injury," she said. "I fell about 30 feet onto solid rock. I shattered my ankle and broke my back."
That's enough for anyone to hang up the harness, but Soria only sought after her next adventure. She's been climbing as an amputee for the past year.
"It was definitely a task but I think for me, climbing creates such a mental oasis that I can't not do it and it was pivotal to my recovery process to still get outside, even if it was painful," she said.
Once she pushed past the recovery process, Soria climbed into the competitive phase, claiming a spot on the US Para Climbing team and setting her sights on the Paraclimbing World Championships in Switzerland in August.
"I'm really looking forward to the journey. I've only been an amputee for about a year. I feel like I've already made some progress but I'm really looking forward to exploring more in the climbing realm," she said. "It's that same mindset that I'm really excited to be here and meet new people and hang out with friends and I'm also really to push really hard and yeah, I want to be as best as I can be."
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