The outdoors has captivated my heart and soul. I want to have every possible experience available to me. One of these avenues is outdoor sports. Activities such as rock climbing, white water kayaking, hiking, camping, skiing, cliff jumping, and many more have caught my attention in recent months. Back in May, I fell in love with the art of rock climbing and haven't looked back since. From that day, I have noticed a welcomed shift in my life, no longer feeling trapped and bored all the time. Instead, my world was full of whimsy and more than my fair share of chalk. I quickly got into the swing of things, I learned all the lingo, and started to be more aggressive in my climbing style; not to mention making friends with the workers and other climbers at the gym. The culture in such sports is often very laid back, which is showcased in the people more than anything else. I easily fit in with the crowd and even found my boyfriend. It's been 8 months since the world of rock climbing and other extreme outdoor sports was opened up to me, and I'm a much better climber than I ever could have imagined. I've climbed in the Gunks and started lead climbing, both things I thought were years down the road. My universe has opened up so much because of the people and activities I have let in. Honestly, I'm too obsessed to ever say no to an adventure again.

With every sport comes silent pressures and insecurities that plague us all. For those who don’t know, flagging is a rock climbing term for when you put your leg out to the side or behind you. The point is to keep you balanced on the wall. Originally, this article was going to be about the silent pressures women feel in a male-dominated sport; however, after talking to someone very important to me, I realized everyone faces similar insecurities, regardless of gender. After this conversation, I decided to shift the focus, discussing the pressures we all feel when participating in an activity we love.

While climbing, it's easy to get swept up in the intensity of it all. Hearing grunts and groans as climbers muscle through difficult routes is not an uncommon sound in a rock gym. Neither are screams of frustration when the wall is let go of during a difficult move. Ultimately, everyone is there for one purpose; to get better. However, it's easy to feel pressured while climbing with people who are better than you, especially when you aspire to be like them. Most of my climbing buddies have been climbing a lot longer than me, therefore, they are more skilled, often climbing well above my ability. All of them are stand up people and have never made me feel like I was a bad climber or was in any way lesser than them. Despite this, I still felt a need to climb harder then I normally would when with them. A few weeks ago, we went to the Gunks, a very popular and well know climbing area located 40 minutes from my campus. While there, I had a great time experiencing world class climbing, but I still felt stressed and anxious as the others set our towropes. I knew all of them had more experience under their belt and better technique. As I watched them climb the routs I would soon ascend, I felt the pressure to live up to their standards. In the end, I climbed 3 of the 5 routs set that day and I felt really good about myself, having climbed harder then I ever had before. I was so scared of being embarrassed that I pushed myself, and this time, it worked out. Every athlete feels this pressure when surrounded by those who are more skilled than you. All that is running through your mind is that you have to live up to their expectations and prove yourself. For me, it worked out okay and I didn’t get hurt, but it's all too possible to push yourself too far and end up in a nasty situation.

Similarly, when in the presence of someone you care about, the pressure to preform well comes to the surface. Whether this be a parent, grandparent, sibling, friend, or significant other, all you are thinking about is not messing up. Back when I was still a swimmer, I always pushed myself harder when I knew there was a reason not to make a mistake. If my parents were there, I would swim as hard as I could to impress them. Alternatively, when I swam in dual meets, I swam my best times because it benefited my team, whereas if I under-preformed, I was letting them down. All of this resulted in a shoulder injury that luckily didn’t require surgery at the time. This situation is seen in every sport and every activity. The need to impress and not let those down around you can cause overworked muscles, bones, and joints. More in line with rock climbing, I remember participating in a workout at the rock gym one day. It hadn't been my intention to do so, but I didn’t want to disappoint the owner. For an hour, I powered through exercises, both on and off the wall, pushing myself well past my limits. The next day I could barely climb because I had aggravated my old shoulder injury. Ultimately, I had to cut my climbing short and I felt so inadequate.

Feeling like you are not good enough or don’t fit in leads to a pressure to change who you are. Stereotypes plague every sport, activity, and clique asthey are inescapable. The problem is that there is no one type of person that participates in things. For example, rock climbing is one of the few sports that allows people of all shapes and sizes to participate. Being tall does help, and so does having muscle, but ultimately, it comes down to technique. Like all other sports, though, there are stereotypes attached. Female rock climbers and outdoorsmen are seen as masculine and muscular; anything less means you’re a poser. These conceptions are simply incorrect. My roommates aunt loves fashion, she does her makeup every morning, gets her hair and nails done, wears heels everywhere, and can hike 7 miles in the rain no problem. Personally, I'm somewhere in between masculine and feminine. I wear dresses and heals when I feel like it, even applying makeup from time to time. Alternatively, I own more than my fair share of stretched out jeans and graphic tees while basically living in my Vans. Neither of these things stop me from rock climbing almost every day. Furthermore, I’m not that muscular, I still have soft fatty areas and the muscles I do have are not ostentatious. Does that mean I'm not a real rock climber? These stereotypes affect everyone, causing pressure to live up to certain standards, its adapt of be left behind.

Up to this point in the article, I have outlined some of the pressures that drive our insecurities, butthis is not the point. Ultimately, there is no escaping pressure. It is going to follow you no matter where you go. This should not discourage you. In fact, it should motivate you to be the best that you can be, shattering any stereotypes and rising above the pressure. If you feel like you need to be better, then find people who help support your goals without pushing you over the limit. If being around someone important stresses you out, remember they love you no matter what, even if you make a mistake. If you feel that you don’t fit into a mold, break it and be your own person, prove that anyone can do what you do. Mostly, just remember there is no reason to feel like you aren’t good enough, because you are. Like everything in life, it takes time to get better. So find a group of people who support you no matter what, who will push you in healthy ways, and be there to catch you when you fall. Set goals for yourself and find the environment best suited to help you reach them. Most of all, support your people, laugh with them, encourage them, tease them, love them, and create a place where it's okay to fall as long as you get back up and try again. They have felt the same pressure and know the same insecurities, be there for them, and they will be there for you.