Duncan Polytechnical rock climbing team helps students build strength and confidence

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Long earlier sunrise, students astatine Duncan Polytechnical High School are already scaling walls, pushing past fearfulness and investigating their carnal and intelligence limits arsenic portion of the school's stone climbing team.

The squad is made up of students successful grades 9 done 12.

Daniel Orozco, 1 of 20 students connected the team, said climbers rapidly larn that each way demands some spot and strategy.

"As you tin see, that greenish ascent is simply a V-Zero," helium said. "As the numbers spell up, it gets progressively harder."

Orozco, a senior, joined the squad for the archetypal clip this year.

He said stepping into the climbing gym wasn't easy.

"I was tense because, like, what if I'm not beardown enough? Or what if, like, I embarrass myself successful beforehand of different people?" He said.

But with encouragement from a friend, helium decided to effort retired and was hooked.

"So connected the archetypal time they were having tryouts, I was like, 'Oh, wait, this is beauteous fun,'" Orozco said.

The squad is coached by physics teacher Chris Navarro.

Navarro said the programme offers much than climbing skills.

"Seeing these kids spell from possibly not adjacent being ace funny successful school, oregon being a small detached, and past coming here, uncovering thing to beryllium passionate about, thing to link them to the school," Navarro said.

In summation to the team, Duncan Polytechnical offers a climbing nine unfastened to each students.

Although this is lone Navarro's 3rd twelvemonth coaching the competitory team, the programme has already seen important success. The squad placed 2nd successful the league successful 2024 and took archetypal spot past year.

This season, the roster is younger aft respective seniors graduated, but Navarro said they stay competitive.

"I conscionable privation to support that spot and conscionable support that advancement going, support our nine going, truthful we person this continuous travel of caller kids and learning caller things," helium said.

For Orozco, climbing has built assurance and fixed him a accidental to enactment teammates. He hopes to yet instrumentality his skills beyond the gym.

"Maybe erstwhile I physique my spot here, I'll beryllium capable to spell outdoors and truly climb," helium said.

The team's adjacent contention volition beryllium held connected April 25, followed by the last conscionable connected May 1.

Both competitions volition beryllium held astatine MetalMark Climbing successful cardinal Fresno.

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