From Near-Death to Rock Climbing Again: Melissa Strong on Injury, Recovery Tools, and Writing a Memoir | See Her Outside Podcast
The hands that built Melissa’s entire sport, business, and life were taken from her in an accidental instant.
Her story explores what came next: the mental tools she invented to survive, the small triumphs that felt enormous, and the athletic determination it took to find her way back to the rock.
Melissa Strong is a sponsored rock climber, writer, and restaurant owner based in Estes Park, Colorado, and El Paso, Texas. She's the founder and owner of two acclaimed Estes Park restaurants, Bird & Jim and The Bird's Nest, and together with her husband owns Wagon Wheel Co-op, a guiding concession in Hueco Tanks State Park.
Originally from the Boston area, Melissa came to climbing in her mid-twenties and has since traveled the world for the sport while writing for publications like Climbing Magazine, Urban Climber, and Rock and Ice. Her memoir tells the story of the near-fatal electric injury that changed everything, and the long road of healing.
Melissa and Angie talked about:
Finding rock climbing at 26 after realizing she couldn't run half a mile
Becoming a sponsored climber in an era before climbing gyms were on every corner
The near-fatal accident that severely burned her hands
Seeing a forest and tunnel during her near-death experience
The "closet of boxes" self-coaching tool she invented in the hospital
Having her arms literally sewn together for three weeks to rebuild skin
Tapping into her athlete's mindset to push through recovery
Why women need to stop shouldering everything and give themselves a break
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