Coach Heather was introduced to climbing in 2009 by her brother, who primarily climbed outdoors, but invited her to try indoor climbing at Climb @ Blue Ridge. In addition to loving the sport of climbing, Heather values making friendships within the climbing community and sharing her love of the sport with others. She has climbed at crags across the Southeast and her favorite is the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. Heather is an avid distance runner, having completed three Boston marathons. Both Heather and her husband Brent are college professors. Heather teaches music and trumpet. They have four children and one daughter-in-law.

Coach Oliver Rodgers is an avid climber, mainly experienced in bouldering. He grew up in Greenville climbing on whatever manmade rock was available without knowing about the sport of rock climbing itself. Now with one year of climbing under his belt, he trains three times a week as part of an advanced team. Freshly knowing what a beginner is thinking and the fun ways they can improve is Oliver’s most beneficial skills. Along with knowing how to get stronger as a climber he also has experience with injury prevention, yoga, Tai Chi, running and through trial and error knows about diet and nutrition.

Coach Sam started climbing when he lived overseas. He has always loved the outdoors and climbed anything he could, from rocks to trees! It was incredible to him to find out that his favorite hobby was actually a sport. Sam has been climbing for 6 years, both outdoors and indoors. He loves the peace and challenge that comes with the sport and look forward to learning more as he progresses! Along with climbing, Coach Sam enjoys many other outdoor activities such as backpacking, bushwhacking, and mountain biking. The outdoors have always been his second home and wherever he travels he always make time to find an adventure!

Coach Adelle started rock climbing in 2016. Adelle enjoys the physical and metal challenges of climbing. She also values the strong friendships and sense of community established in and out of the gym. Adelle enjoys the Beta Babes trips to Red River Gorge and has also climbed in the Tucson AZ area. In addition to a passion for climbing, Adelle has a passion for teaching. When not at Climb at Blue Ridge, she teaches at a local daycare. She loves meeting her students where they are and encouraging them to achieve new heights.

It all started in a climbing gym for Coach Karla. Now, over two decades later, she’s come full circle; tracing her roots back to where it began, only this time, with a kid crusher in tow. Her passion for climbing has greatly influenced her travels – oftentimes sending her and her family to world class climbing destinations. She considers the Red River Gorge her home crag after having spent her formative climbing years there and establishing dozens of first ascents in Muir Valley. As a climber of petite stature, Coach Karla draws on her own experience, developing techniques and strategies that suit climbers who mirror her in size – which benefits youth climbers in particular. Having coached several US National Team level climbers in the Midwest, her approach to coaching is centered on communication and fun while also creating an atmosphere and program that helps climbers develop their confidence and skills.