Ambassador Spotlight | Kerry Scott

Hometown: Rockville, Maryland

Q: What’s your climbing style?

A: Sloth-like and technical

Q: What is your proudest accomplishment in climbing and outside of climbing?

A: I would say Proper Soul is my proudest accomplishment in climbing. I had been dreaming about that route for many years before I was ready to try it. It was also my first 5.14a, so I’ll remember that forever! In non-climbing, Surviving Real Analysis at UNC. I have never worked that hard in a class before, and it was gratifying to learn the material.

Photo credit: Daniel Gajda

Q: What advice would you give to your first-year climbing self?

A: Well, I started climbing every once in a while when I was 3, so I would probably shake 3-year-old-me’s hand and thank her for finding the thing I love most. However, if I could give young, competitive Kerry some advice, I would tell her not to stress out about competitions. I have a lifetime of climbing ahead of me, and the whole point is to have fun and enjoy the ride.

Q: Who do you take advice from and why?

A: This doesn’t fully answer the question, but a family friend gave me the best advice I have ever received. On my 21st birthday, he told me to “listen to everyone’s advice with an open mind, but pick and choose what works best for you.” That is what I like to do best. I listen to everyone but choose what works for me and makes the most sense.

Photo credit: Daniel Gajda

Q: How has your training for climbing changed in the last year?

A: I think it’s been a little over a year, but I have started incorporating a lot of lifting into my climbing! I love it. I do bench presses, deadlifts, and weighted pull-ups. I’ve been trying to get better at dips recently as well.

Q: How has climbing affected the people you surround yourself with?

A: I hate to say that I only hang out with climbers…but I mostly hang out with climbers. It’s just fun to be surrounded by people who share your passion!

Q: What have you done to give back to the climbing community?

A: I love coaching. I coached the intermediate climbing team at Earth Treks when I lived in Maryland, and now I coach kids on the elite team at Triangle Rock Club! I also helped start the Carolina Climbing Club at UNC and sat at our wall on campus occasionally. I share what I have learned from competing and projecting with everyone to help them get through the process!

Q: What have you learned from failure?

A: SO MUCH. Wow, I don’t even know where to start. I have learned that you will never get any stronger unless you try moves that you are failing on. It is so important to fail at something to grow. I have learned that falling all over a route does NOT mean you can’t do it. It simply means you have to put more time and effort into it. Most importantly, I have learned that my greatest successes have been from something I “failed” at first.

Photo credit: DanielGajda

Q: Who are the climbers that inspire you the most, and why?

A: My old coaches (shoutout to Will Anglin and Matt Jones for teaching me a lot of what I know about climbing) inspire me a lot because they are very methodical about their training. Jesse Grupper and Ben Hanna inspire me because they try so hard when they climb! You can tell they are fighting so hard to stay on the wall. Claire Bresnan inspires me because she’s strong, but she’s also always having fun and supportive of all her friends whenever she climbs and competes. Also, my team kids inspire me because they all work hard during practice!

Q: What is your favorite climbing location and why?

A: The New River Gorge is hands down my favorite climbing location! The rock there inspires me, and many climbs there have cool movement. There is a lot of technical-face climbing. So many climbs barely have anything on the wall, but as you climb them, you slowly start to unlock the sequences. Lots of deep lock-offs and hand-foot matches! It’s also where I got into outdoor climbing, which I consider my home-crag.

Q: Why Butora Climbing?

A: I fell in love with the Acro the first time I put them on! Now, I enjoy climbing in my Narsha, but the Acro is what sold me on Butora. I also really enjoy that the ambassadors are super supportive of each other! I haven’t met some of them in person, but it feels like we are on a team together 

Q: What are your favorite before and after climbing meals?

A: I usually say oatmeal, but right now, I’m pretty into bagel sandwiches with egg and cheese for breakfast before a big day of climbing! I also love to drink chocolate milk after climbing.

Q: What is your spirit animal?

A: Probably a sloth. Or a screw-on crimp 

Questions from the Internet

Q: What differences have you found in climbing Narsha versus climbing in Acro?

A: The Narshas have stiffer rubber, so they take longer to break in than the Acros. It took me a while to adjust to climbing in them after the Acros, but the Narshas perform better on tiny footholds, especially outdoors. The Acros are a great all-around shoe with a softer rubber, and they feel great right out of the box!

Q: What tips would you give new outdoor climbers about crag etiquette?

A: Be respectful of nature and others at the crag. It is a privilege to get to climb outside! Find a mentor willing to take you out for the first time and teach you about it if you can. My advice is to make sure you really know how to be safe, be respectful of the amount of time you are on the wall if there is a line, don’t blast your music, if you have a lot of people in your group on one climb let a smaller group mix in with you if they want to try it too, pack out your trash and pick up any other trash that someone else leaves behind, and try to treat nature and others the way that you would want to be treated (Golden rule).

Photo credit: Suzie Carty

Q: What tips would you give someone stuck on their project? How do you stay motivated when you are stuck?

A: Stay Positive! Sometimes, I will take breaks from my projects to try other climbs. It is mentally helpful to have a break from your biggest projects if you are stuck in the same spot. If I’m falling on one specific move on a route, I will rehearse it repeatedly to ensure I can be 100% confident I know how to make the move when I get there on point. Also, I think it’s essential to somehow project lines that are fun and inspiring to you. When I find a route like this and get stuck on it, sometimes I am thankful for it because it means I get to return to it and try again!

Q: How have you overcome fear of climbing (fear of falling, failure, etc.)?

A: The fear of falling was a bit easier for me to overcome, and I don’t know why. I think it’s because my old coach forced me to wait longer before I could start lead climbing (I was really young), and so I was too excited to be scared when I finally could lead climb. I also have always really trusted my belayers, so that helps, too! I’m still growing and working on my fear of failure. That is tough, but I like to remind myself that my friends will still be my friends no matter what. I don’t like being around people judging me for failing. We are all learning and growing (no matter where we are in our climbing journey), and failing is the best way to learn something new!

Check out our next Ambassador, Brennan Robinson