Climber Story: Britney Berkstresser

To start, tell us a little bit about yourself 

Hi, I am Britney Berkstresser! I'm the artist behind Tiny Holds. I started climbing 6 years ago to heal my physical body from illness. Within that journey, I found so much more.

How did you start climbing?

I was looking for something to help strengthen my weak body from misdiagnosed Lyme disease. My body was riddled with the Illness for over 11 years. I was broken, weak, and no longer wanted to carry on. My Sister had a feeling climbing was just what I needed. She took me to our local gym Sender One and showed me the walls. 

I made it 3/4 the way up a v0 with a 102 fever, shaking and said ok, I wanna do this. I started going to the gym every day and here I am now!

What impact has climbing had on your life?

The first time I pulled myself up the wall I remember thinking ... The feeling of my strength was still there. Something I had lost for so long.

My health and strength came back the more I climbed, the harder I trained, and the more I got outside. In reality, I found something that showed me how to focus and love myself again.

What are some other things you do that you find most fulfilling?

My Chihuahua, Stella, just reached a tiny milestone...she turned 16! 

Stella has been blind and def all but for just a few months of her life. She has been the best outdoor dog anyone could ask for, of course in tiny form.

If you could tell the world one thing, what would it be?

The plastic holds on the wall we put so much time and effort into, we can carry that strength with us daily to keep ourselves going strong. The first tiny hold that I created was to remind myself just that.

I wanted everyone to feel that love and joy. A tiny reminder to send with love no matter what your journey may be <3

Favorite thing about Dynamite Starfish?

I fell in love with Dynamite Starfish and everything they stood for at my first pop-up. Leslie welcomed me into the small business climbing world.

I knew she would always be an important part of my journey in spreading awareness and love.

Is there something you're working on that you'd like to tell our community about? We love a good story.

I made a set of my first tiny hold earrings because gym climbing was so special to me, and I wanted everyone to have that same excited feeling I had. 

Recently, I've been doing lots of pop-ups at local gyms and working on custom orders including accessories for Crocs! My community shares their adventures with the hashtag  #dirtloveandchalk

You can find Britney on Instagram at @tiny_holds or her website tinyholds.com.

Want to get to know more of the climbers in the amazing Dynamite Starfish community? Check out our archive of Climber Stories here.

We hope you have enjoyed these sneak peeks into climbers' lives. We're on a mission to share diverse stories about rock climbing. Let's push the boundaries of who we know as climbers. Let's use our energy and passion for the outdoors to love our environment and inspire one another.

Have someone you think we should feature? Send us a message and let us know!