Natalie Berry

I started climbing at the age of 8 and am still very passionate about the sport I have grown up in. Throughout my younger years I focussed primarily on competition climbing after becoming a member of the British Junior Competition Climbing Team, and although I am still a member of both the Senior Difficulty and Boulder Teams, I now also enjoy climbing more on rock - mainly due to having more free time and opportunities after starting University to study French and German in 2010. My best competition result was winning a round of the European Youth Cup in Kranj, Slovenia in 2007, placing 3rd overall in that year for the second year running. I have won multiple National and regional competitions, and now that I have progressed from Junior to Senior level I enjoy helping younger climbers to achieve their goals. Despite struggling with almost constant injury over the last 2 years (two hernias and three finger injuries!) I have tried my best to keep focussed and involved in the sport I love. Last summer I made the most of a brief injury-free period in Spain, Ceuse and Yorkshire - where I ticked seven 8a redpoints and two 8a+'s within four months of completing my first grade '8' in Spain. My ambition is to continue competing and pushing myself on rock, whilst having fun with friends in amazing places around the world!