his own words: one counselor's unforgettable experience

Riccardo is a first time camp counselor at Dynamo Camp in Italy and a professional climbing trainer.

I've been teaching climbing for years. I've seen a lot of boys, girls, and people of all ages choose to face the vertical dimension. One morning at Dynamo Camp I saw something amazing. I saw the determination, will and strength of character of someone who would have probably wanted more from life and yet, notwithstanding everything, continues to love life deeply all the same.

I'll never forget the doubts that were swirling around in my mind as I moved the wheelchair closer to the wall. Those moments were probably my most difficult climb. "I want to climb the wall," she had announced to me in a strong, decisive tone. And so she did. When she stood up with an unstable equilibrium, she grabbed the first climbing hold and began to put her feet on the other holds. It was suddenly clear what sort of person I had in front of me.

I soon realized that those legs didn't need me, fueled as they were by some exceptional sort of propellant made up of tenacity and determination. And so move after move, Linda shattered my fears. When she made it up to the top, she made her hands into fists, cried out for joy and then, turning towards me, smiled at me in a way that I'll never forget.