Hanging by her right hand, she struggles to find a foothold, her body aches with each move, her mind racing to what’s next. Reaching up she finally grasps the top, swinging her legs up she pulls herself atop.

It may be just one of thousands of practice climbs, but for 16-year-old junior Sophie Kwon, it’s another step on her road to China where she will compete for the United States in the International Federation of Sport Climbing World Youth Championships.

But it wasn’t an easy road as Kwon was uncertain of her status until the team was announced and her name was on the list.

“I had a lot of emotions that day,” Kwon said. “I was sick, so I was really relieved. And then I was also really excited because I hadn’t really felt like – it was the first time I felt like all my hard work paid off, and so I felt really good.”

So did her dad, who watched Sophie endure several challenges.

“One was relief because you knew that she really really wanted it,” Sophie’s dad John Kwon said. “And the second was pride, I mean I hate to say this, but I was really proud of her. She really worked hard this year. It was a really trying year for all the reasons about moving, about starting a new team and moving to a new high school, nearly taking ownership over her climbing, and I’m really proud of her because this was the first year where she took ownership over every aspect of her training.”

As part of that, Sophie works with a coach, who is as invested in Sophie’s progress as her family.

“I was very happy for her,” Whitson said. “During the competition it was a situation where she climbed very well, but she had to beat several more people that came after her in order to qualify, so it was a pretty tense situation as every climber would go and she would move up slowly one by one in the spots and the ranking, it was sort of more and more nerve wracking basically, but I think it was pretty surreal when she made it. I think she sort of realized it, but it hadn’t really sunk in until later that she actually got an invitation to be on the U.S. team.”

With a rock climbing wall at home, Kwon can practice and train anytime she wants.

It’s something in her family genes.

“My dad had always climbed, and my uncle is a professional rock climbing coach, so it was kind of already in the family before I started climbing, and then I joined a recreational team when I was playing gymnastics and soccer and tennis, and eventually I quit all of them to join a more competitive team when I was around 12,” Kwon said. “I had prior knowledge because my dad took us to the climbing gym ever since we were around 8 or so. And we went every weekend, and then I finally decided to join the rec. Team, and I started competing.”

She maintains her healthy diet by restricting junk food and soda and making sure she drinks plenty of water.

To prepare for the competition, Kwon trains at least 15 hours a week in the gym, runs on the side, and reads books on mental training.

“It varies, but for her they’re typically intense,” Whitson said. “She is competing at essentially the highest level for someone of her age essentially. So, it varies week to week, but she’s definitely training, I would say, at an elite level, so to speak, for a rock climber.”

Kwon’s rock climbing training often gets in the way of her extra curricular activities.

“It’s definitely been getting harder as I’ve been progressing through high school,” Kwon said. “It’s kind of hard knowing that I’m missing out on something social like homecoming or something because I have to train, but it all pays off in the end and I have to keep reminding myself of that. I guess I just have to, when I get home from school I have to  start my homework and do as much as I can and then I go to practice and then I finish my homework and then I do it as fast as possible so then I can get sleep that I need. It’s definitely a challenge.”