National champion and record holder, Emma Hunt, is not merely a typical Etowah sophomore. Hunt holds the national title and record for Female Youth B (FYB) speed climbing and is a member of the Youth USA National Team. Hunt is also ranked in the top twenty nationally for two other types of rock climbing. 

“My national rankings include twentieth for sport, eighteenth for bouldering, and first for speed,” Hunt said.  

The top four in each discipline of climbing are invited to become members of the Youth National team. This August Hunt competed in her first international competition on the team in Moscow, Russia, placing third in FYB.  

“It was amazing to see Russia’s sights, have the chance to compete in a world competition for USA, and to have the chance to share the experience with my mom, my friends, and my teammates,” Hunt said. 

Along with school, Hunt trains five to six times a week to keep up her fitness levels and hone in her craft alongside her local teammates on the Stone Summit Elite team. Hunt also trains at one to two-week National Team camps throughout the year alongside other top-four nationally ranked climbers. Hunt finds that often the rigors of her training and school schedule make completing all her work a difficult task.  

“Balancing school and climbing feels impossible. Most of my afternoon is spent driving to and at the gym. I have many late nights of homework and studying,” Hunt said.  

Although the challenges of being a student athlete are tough, Hunt stays firmly grounded in the reason she began her climb to the top of her sport: family. 

“I picked up climbing because I did it with my family and I thought it was really fun,” Hunt said. 

Hunt plans to continue her climbing career after high school in the College National Circuit and at the College World Championships. She hopes to eventually become a coach for a competitive youth climbing team.