Name: Zoe Leibovitch
Age: 20
Year: Sophomore
Major: Marketing in the Leeds School of Business
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Relationship status: Single
When I was first introduced to my friend and highly respected climber, Zoe Leibovitch, I had no idea who she was, or what she was truly capable of. Zoe’s love and commitment to rock climbing is inspiring.
When and where did your journey of rock climbing begin?
I started when I was 7. I was at a birthday party, and my mom signed me up for the youth team at a climbing gym called “Metro Rock,” in Everett, Massachusetts. That’s my home town gym.
Zoe gains her respect in and out of the climbing word, not only from the effortless skill and grace she demonstrates but because of her unwavering attitude and outlook on life. Never in my mere nineteen years of life, have I met such an enthusiastic, benevolent, and diligent person. Her passion and desire to rock climb has really developed her generously encouraging attitude.
There are several different facets of climbing. The two facets Zoe has involved herself in, are sport climbing and bouldering. There is outdoor bouldering all throughout the country and world. Within these climbing areas are boulders scattered throughout, with grades ranging from V0 (the easiest) to V15 and higher. Some boulders have yet to be accomplished in the world.
Do you enjoy outdoor bouldering over competitions? Why or why not?
I got really excited on outdoor bouldering when I moved out to Colorado for school. I didn’t compete much last year, but now am definitely going to try to compete more. At this point in my life, I’d say I like competitions and bouldering equally, but as a kid, I definitely liked competing more. I think I’m going to try and do more outdoor boulders, there’s great bouldering here!
What portion of the sport is head-game, and what portion is endurance and strength?
For me, I’d say it’s about 50-50. It’s all about finding a balance between the two. I try and keep my head in the right mindset of thinking positively and focusing my strength/energy on each individual move. If the strength is there and your head is not, it will hardly matter how hard you have trained.”
How have you recovered from a major injury or loss in confidence?
I’ve definitely had that feeling of wanting to quit; a bunch after I injured my elbow, at my last youth nationals competition, the year I placed 3rd. I took that fall, but it also granted me the bronze metal. After that, I felt like I was at a low point, and getting back into climbing was somewhat difficult. The way I recovered from this loss in ability and confidence, was by losing my ego of performing consistently and remembering why I climbed in the first place– for fun.
Did you expect to come as far as you have in your climbing ability?
No, honestly. I used to goof around a ton at practice and not take it seriously. When I started competing, I got super into it.
Climbing has enabled and encouraged Zoe to travel all over the world, and compete with other incredible climbers. The life of a passionate climber has brought Zoe to incredible spots, and crazy experiences.
Where is the coolest place you have climbed?
Coolest place I have been for bouldering recently is Squamish, British Columbia. I was over there ready to depart on a family vacation on a Disney cruise and managed to squeeze in a day of bouldering with friends already camping in the area. It was in the forest where they shot Game of Thrones, and there were a ton of five-star boulders all condensed into few distinct areas of the forest.
What is it that keeps you climbing all these years? What is it that instills your perseverance?
I would say, if you do something and you really love it, stay focused, stay psyched, and it will change your life in every which way. What I mean by that is, when I am doing well in rock climbing and succeeding, I feel as if everything else in my life clicks.
Climbing, like many other hobbies/sports, has instilled a distinct motivation in twenty-year-old Zoe Leibovitch, from a very young age. “I know that climbing has made me realize that I can never do something long term in life that I’m not excited about. I’ve learned through my love of climbing, that if you’re happy about what it is you’re doing, you will thrive in enormous ways.”
“Travel the world, talk to people, and smile at everything.”