Meet the Crew: Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard, partner

The Crew always has a great time on our Climb L8 outings with Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition (RRGCC). We've been partnering with the organization for about a year and a half to get Crew teens out for free climbing nights.

RRGCC's Climb L8 program strives to remove systemic and financial barriers to entry into rock climbing and facilitate a safer space in the rock climbing gym for communities that have been marginalized from climbing due to lack of financial resources, inequitable access, lack of mentorship or systemic barriers. That includes those who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQIA+, adaptive, first-time climbers and those without financial means.

Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard, an RRGCC board member since 2019, accompanies our Crew on monthly Climb L8 outings.

"I love their excitement for trying something new and their perseverance for trying hard things," she said of the Crew.

That was particularly true during our Crew's trip to Red River Gorge for an outdoor climb last April.

"With steady encouragement and plenty of support, each individual stepped up to the challenge and climbed every rocky face to the anchors," she said. "The Gorge demands many levels of skill and courage, but the teens proved they had what it takes and their tenacity and perseverance shined on this trip."

The Cleveland native climbed for the first time back in 2014, when her sister took her to a rock climbing gym. She started climbing regularly in 2018.

"Climbing outside really grew my love of outdoor spaces," she said. "What I love most (about climbing) is the community, and the problem solving aspect of the sport."

When she's not climbing, Briana enjoys being a mom to her six-year-old, playing music and collecting plants.