Member Spotlight: SEPT 2015
Sydney Boyle
Edgeworks Member since 2012
How did you start climbing?
Sydney: A friend of mine convinced me to come climbing at Fossil Rock a few summers ago. I was terrified of heights and afraid I’d be terrible at it, but I agreed to go. After my first climb I was completely hooked!
Why do you climb at Edgeworks?
Sydney: When I moved to Tacoma I wanted to find a way to keep climbing through the winter, and I also wanted to meet new people. Climbing at Edgeworks helped me make so many amazing friends and introduced me to a really great climbing community. It has felt like my second home for the past few years.
Where is your favorite place to climb outside?
Sydney: I’m just happy to climb outside — anytime, anywhere, anything. Fossil Rock will always have a special place in my heart, but I also love sport climbing at Vantage and Smith Rock, and even sometimes bouldering at Gold Bar and Leavenworth.
What do you do when you’re not climbing?
Sydney: I am starting a career in mental health counseling, so that has taken up a lot of my time for the last few years. When I’m not working, going to school, or climbing, I’m hanging out with my amazing family and playing music.
What are some interesting facts you’d like to share with the Edgeworks community?
Sydney: Regular practice of mindfulness and meditation — even for as little as 30 seconds a day — has been proven to alter the neural pathways in our brains and therefore positively impact things like mood, focus, problem-solving skills, and our ability to achieve goals. Next time you have the urge to check your cell phone (a mindless habit), choose that moment to re-connect with your mind and body and just pay attention to your breathing for 30 seconds. I bet you’ll notice a difference immediately 🙂
