INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — The countdown is on to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo next year, and rock climbing will be a competition sport at the games.
There's a local woman climbing her way toward a medal.
Her name is Piper Kelly, and her passion is climbing. Speed climbing.
She's a real-life Spiderwoman.
"I tried out a couple sports, but never as seriously as rock climbing," Kelly said. "It was always my priority, I guess I always loved it."
Piper started climbing with her dad and her uncles when she was a little girl.
"I think I look at it as a very unique sport, I think it challenges both physically and mentally, it's a lot of mental pressure I think not a lot of other sports offer. And I like how much of a lifestyle sport it is. I can go and train seriously, I can hang out with my friends and do it. I can compete, or I can do it just for fun.
She said she's almost always on the wall, working physically and mentally on her skills.
The sport will be featured in next summer's Olympics, so interest has exploded.
"It's very exciting for the sport," said Kelly. "We had already been seeing some growth, and since then it's just really taken off.
Piper already won a national youth climbing title, so her journey to the Olympics is just starting.
She's climbing toward a bright future.