No. 20 Vol. 9
www.mypaperonline.com • 973-809-4784 September 2024
Denville Climber Reaches New Heights
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By Megan Roche 2-year-old Amelie Schey remembers attending a food truck festival in Chester that featured a rock climbing wall for kids. Her parents let her participate and thus began Schey’s humble beginnings in the world of climbing. Schey, who climbs at Randolph Climbing Center, has begun to make a name for herself within the state of New Jersey. She climbs in two different disciplines; top rope and bouldering. “I climb both top rope and bouldering. Top rope climbing involves taller walls, ranging from 35 to 70 feet, with a rope for safety. The goal is to reach the top without falling within a certain time limit, with most holds being worth more points the higher you go. Bouldering, on the other hand, has shorter walls, usually no higher than 15 feet, and doesn’t use ropes. Instead, there are pads on the ground for safety. In bouldering, you score points by reaching specific holds: a low zone, a mid zone, and the top. Top rope is more endurance with more obvious routes and bouldering has a lot of problem solving. It’s like a mix of Twister and Chess on the wall,” Schey explained. While training three to four days a week for three hours each practice, Schey also does workouts and stretching on her off days. “Each climbing day, I focus on different aspects to improve my skills. Sometimes I train specifically for endurance, while other times I work on technique or strength. By varying my training, I aim to become a wellrounded climber,” Schey said. Schey also knows the importance of a good role model and coach. “This past year, I’ve been working with a new coach, Charlie Schrieber who created Paradigm Climbing. He’s one of the top 100 climbers in the world and just coached the 2024 National Champion in the Male Youth Junior category. Charlie looks at my strengths and weaknesses and designs my plans for them, while the coaches at Randolph Climbing Center help implement them and add their expertise. Both have been very supportive,” Schey says. In 2024, Schey’s competitive climbing season was a major success. While there is no official ranking for the state, Schey believes she is among the top five climbers in New Jersey. Due to her success, Schey was invited to compete at Regionals. She placed ninth in the region, which earned her a trip to Divisionals in Buffalo, NY.
“Divisionals and Regionals were so exciting and scary! You have to sit in a chair before you climb and, let me just say, that experience is not fun because you worry about everything! At the higher levels, you’re not allowed to see your climbs, so you turn around and look at them for the first time. You have to sit in “iso” (isolation) with no phones or digital devices, so everyone is waiting in a room playing card games. But after you’re done, it’s such a relief. The waiting and the anticipation can be nervewracking, but finishing a climb and knowing you gave it your all feels amazing,” Schey recalled. The top 13 from Divisionals go on to compete at Nationals. During Divisionals, Schey placed 14th overall. For Schey, climbing has become an extension of who she is. “Climbing has always been there for me. It’s helped me through hard times when I felt lost and didn’t know what to do. It’s been a huge support and has helped me get through so much stuff. Plus, I enjoy climbing in general. It’s so much fun and makes me feel happy and proud when I finish a tough climb. Climbing isn’t just a sport to me; it’s something I love and rely on. I particularly love that it’s competitive, but the other girls in my category aren’t continued on page 4