Kai Lightner

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Kai Lightner (born 1999) is an American professional competitive sport climber from Fayetteville, North Carolina.^[1] In 2016 Lightner was featured alongside climber Ashima Shiraishi in the Reel Rock 11 film Young Guns.^[2] In 2017, Lightner won Sport Open Nationals in Denver, Colorado.^[3] He also won the Open/Adult Lead Climbing National Champion in 2015 at age 15. Overall, he has earned 12 National Championship titles and is a 5 time youth work championship medalist.^[4]

Learning to climb[]

When Lightner was six years old, he climbed a 50 foot tall flagpole in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina.^[5] A woman passing by on the street gave Lightner's mother the address of a local climbing gym.

Personal life[]

Lightner is currently enrolled at Babson College and hopes to become an entrepreneur.^[6]

Competition Results^[1][]

• Eight National Championship titles
• Three-time IFSC Youth World Championship medalist

Outdoor Climbing Highlights^[1][]

• Era Vella (5.14c/d) in Margalef, Spain
• Lucifer (5.14c) and Southern Smoke (5.14c) in the Red River Gorge

Climbing for Change (C4C)[]

In summer 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests, Lightner founded a nonprofit called (C4C).^[7] The goal of C4C is to help provide opportunities for people of color inside climbing gyms and outside.

References[]

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