Climber Story: Lucy Walker

To start, tell us a little bit about yourself

Howdy! I'm Lucy! I'm 42 years old. I'm a personal landscaper.

How did you start climbing?

I've been climbing my whole life, I just didn't realize it was a sport until about 5 or 6 years ago. We had boulders in our back yard growing up and I was always climbing those. Then I started hiking and realized there were bigger boulders out there I could climb.

I found out it was an actual sport by going to the sporting goods store looking for "boots that would help me climb the boulders". The associate introduced me to the climbing section of the store... From there it was on!

What impact has climbing had on your life?

I suffer from many chronic illnesses, many of which came as a result of being diagnosed with Lyme Disease. They tend to make me feel defeated and weak, but when I'm on the rock I get to escape. I get to be strong and conquer challenges. For a few hours I'm not "the sick girl".

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

Rescuing animals, landscaping, and creating art!

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

Every day may not be good but there is something good in every day! Look for it! 

Favorite thing about Dynamite Starfish?

I love the overall sense of community Dynamite Starfish creates and how they celebrate the little wins we all have in our lives.

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

I would like to inspire others with my story of how I've overcome obstacles that have come my way and that others can too!

One particular story happened on July 15th, 2020. I was working at a clients home doing some landscaping.

I was thinning out some ground cover and having to pull the roots up. One particular root was giving me a hard time. When it finally gave way, my hand flew backwards to the shrub behind me.

I had just trimmed that shrub so the branches had sharp, fresh cut edges. One of those branches went through the back of my hand, through bones, ligaments and nerves...stopping just short of coming out the skin on the other side.

I was filled with adrenaline, so I ripped the branch out of my hand. I got my first aid kit, cleaned it up, and put butterfly bandages on it to close it. Then went back to work.

This was a BIG mistake. My skin did seal back up which caused my hand to fill with blood — also know as compartment syndrome.

The doctor said it was likely that I was going to loose 3 of my fingers. I was rushed into emergency surgery.



Thankfully, the surgery was successful and I got to keep my fingers. I went through months and months of physical therapy. Crying through most of it. First, because it was extreme painful. And second, because I was so scared of never climbing again.

But, in November of that same year I not only was I climbing again. I was climbing harder climbs than I had ever been able to climb!!!

You can find Lucy on Instagram at @lucyslandscaping or consider sending her some love via her Go Fund Me page as she fights against Lyme Disease. 

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!