Hello! My name is Josh, I’m a paraclimber based in Melbourne/Naarm whose journey took an unexpected turn in 2019, altering my life significantly. I lived an incredibly active life until suddenly I found myself not being able to feel and use my lower limbs, which led me to a 14-month-long process of chasing a diagnosis of Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis (HSP).

HSP is an incredibly rare genetic disorder, which in my case is predicted to worsen over time. It affects the nerve pathways controlling muscle movement, causing progressive stiffness and weakness in the legs and difficulties in walking and coordination.

Despite the challenges of living with HSP, I discovered rock climbing, bringing renewed purpose to my life. The unpredictable spasms in my legs, ranging from fleeting moments to enduring episodes, shape an altered movement pattern, making each step (and climb) often laboured and unstable. Despite this, I’ve progressed quickly in my climbing and my quality of life since I started has increased significantly, defying the expectations of my specialists, my family and especially myself.

Although I’m early in my climbing journey, I found myself qualifying in first place in the RP2 category at the 2023 Sport Climbing Australia national team selections and have secured a spot on the 2024 Australian Paraclimbing team, with big dreams for international competitions as well as outdoor climbing. There’s currently minimal funding for Australian climbing athletes - and even less so for para-athletes, which poses as a huge hurdle as most international competitions are in Europe and America. On top of this, training for climbinginvolves multiple coaches, intensive training plans, and travelling to various facilities all over Melbourne - making it tough to balance with my full-time job in Video Production, as well as managing treatment for my condition and recovery.

2024 competition goals

NSW/ACT State titles - March 15-17

VIC State titles - Date TBA

IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup @ Salt Lake City, Utah - May 7-8

Your donation not only fuels my competition climbing aspirations but also eases the financial strains of training and competing. I'm deeply grateful for your time in reading my story and learning about HSP. Your support means the world as I navigate this challenging yet rewarding path.

*Photos used with permission from photographers.