# Brittany Chadbourne Finds Climbing After Paralysis

> A Utah climber paralyzed in a gym accident now competes in paraclimbing while advocating for safer routesetting practices.
- Title: Brittany Chadbourne Finds Climbing After Paralysis · Climbing
- Summary: A Utah climber paralyzed in a gym accident now competes in paraclimbing while advocating for safer routesetting practices. Brittany Chadbourne, paralyzed…
- Keywords: brittany chadbourne, paraclimbing, seated climbing, routesetting, team usa, al1 classification, climbing accident, utah, Climbing
- Source: Climbing — https://climbing.com/culture-climbing/after-an-accident-left-her-paralyzed-brittany-chadbourne-found-a-way-to-keep-climbing
- Author: Maya Silver
- Published: 2026-11-04T10:00:37+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: brittany chadbourne, paraclimbing, seated climbing, routesetting, team usa, al1 classification, climbing accident, utah, sports, travel
## Brittany Chadbourne's Accident
Brittany Chadbourne was paralyzed from the belly button down after a 2022 climbing accident at The Front gym in Ogden, Utah.

> I immediately knew that I was falling, so I just closed my eyes and fell 30 feet.
## The Accident Details
Chadbourne used an alpine butterfly knot system that slipped, causing her to fall 30 feet and sustain spinal and leg injuries.
## Injuries Sustained
She shattered her tibia and fibula, suffered a burst fracture of her T12 vertebra and compression fractures at her C7, T5, and T7 vertebrae.
## Recovery Process
Chadbourne spent two months in the hospital and a month adjusting to her new normal before returning to climbing.
## Paraclimbing Transition
Chadbourne now competes in the AL1 paraclimbing classification, using only her arms to climb while training for competitive goals.
## Team USA Achievement
Chadbourne earned bronze in the 2025 Paraclimbing National Championships and silver in 2026, becoming a Team USA paraclimber.
## Advocating for Safety
Chadbourne teaches climbing at Weber State University and advocates for safer routesetting practices to prevent similar accidents.
## Mixed-Gender Competition
Chadbourne and Carlie Cook pushed for mixed-gender AL1 competition, which the International Federation of Sport Climbing approved in March 2025.
## Paralympic Dreams
Chadbourne hopes paraclimbing will be included in the 2032 Paralympics after being excluded from the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
## Current Focus
Chadbourne trains in Nordic skiing and biathlon while working to increase female paraclimbers in the AL1 category.
## Finding Her Voice
Chadbourne encourages climbers to speak up if they don’t understand routesetting systems to prevent accidents.
## The Giant Asterisk
Chadbourne says she’s the giant asterisk at the end of 'climbing is dangerous' to remind climbers of the risks.

> I'm the giant asterisk at the end of 'climbing is dangerous.'
## Future Goals
Chadbourne aims to make a World Cup final and expand paraclimbing by competing against men until more women join the sport.
## What Happens Next
Chadbourne continues to advocate for safer climbing practices and hopes paraclimbing will be included in the 2032 Paralympics.
## Key takeaway

Brittany Chadbourne, paralyzed from the waist down in a 2022 climbing accident, became a Team USA paraclimber and advocates for safer routesetting after recovering.