Over the Edge

Sarah is 13, and this fall she went on her first repelling trip with other UMA girls. Several of the girls acted like pro’s, harnessing up and climbing down the 90ft rock face as if it were an exercise in gym class. Sarah watched her peers disappear over the edge of the rocks, showing up again minutes later at the top with smiles, ready to go again. She figured the drop couldn’t be that bad, so she harnessed up and began the walk to the edge. There she met with her fear of heights as she stared down the 90ft drop. She was frozen with fear and the tears began to fall, but her friend Jane was down below yelling words of encouragement, affirming Sarah’s ability to make the repel down. Slowly, and through some tears, she worked her way to the bottom!  

After the trip, Sarah shared with her accomplishment and the new confidence she had gained from those tough moments repelling with her mom. A few weeks later the girls hiked Devil’s Marble Yard, a mountain of fallen rocks. Sarah was faced with the same fears of heights and falling. Yet this time, she remembered how she overcame her the fears while repelling, I saw her approach the new climb with a stronger confidence in herself and her ability to over come fears. She knew that step by step she could make the climb!

(Names have been changed to protect our youths privacy)