Matthew Phillips

I was born in 2000 missing my right arm below the elbow. I started out as a national level swimmer and started climbing in 2014 after I started to find swimming boring. I had not done any climbing previously except for the odd birthday party. I entered an open para climbing competition in 2014 and came 3rd with no formal training. After this I didn't look back, got a climbing coach ans started regularly training. In 2015 I won every round of the British para climbing series with a perfect score, claiming the British para climbing champion title which I still hold today.

In 2016 I was invited onto the GB para climbing team, the youngest person ever to have done so. In my first international competition in LMST I came 2nd, since then I have, so far, podiumed at every international competition I have entered. Now in my 3rd year in the GB paraclimbing team I have finished the season by winning Gold at the World Climbing Championships 2018 in Innsbruck and claiming the World champion title.

In the future, I want to become a professional climber and coach. I also want to climb outdoors and in as many places I can.

-Hometown-

Guildford, Surrey, UK

-Projects-

More Climbing outdoors, including USA, Europe and UK, want to lead Flying Buttress Direct E1 5b, Stanage Edge and complete deliverance f7B+ at the plantation. Competitions - world Championships in Tokyo to defend my title.

-Successes-

British Para climbing champion since 2015, World para climbing champion 2018, featuring in 2016 Channel 4 advert 'We are Superhumans' for paralympics 2016, First 7a lead climb Mr Gymnasia, The Promenade, Portland, Qualified Climbing Wall instructor  

-Favourite Scarpa-

Instinct VS, they are a good all round performance shoe and the ones I wore when i won the World Championships 

-No Place Too Far-

I would love to visit Mongolia, having heard a talk by Neil Greisham about first rooting there and it looked very cool

Photo Credit - Simon Rawlinson