My Owl Night Fundraising Page
Hannah Brown & Sam Sowell
Hannah Brown & Sam Sowell
Hi, we are Hannah and Sam, two avid rock climbers whose climbing lives have improved immensely since discovering ParaCliffHangers!
Sam is a longtime climber. In the summer of 2025, Hannah was down to give it a try, but nervous about how limiting her disability (partial paralysis of the left shoulder, arm, and hand) might be. The first time we went to the gym together, Hannah said to Sam, “I just wish I could do this with other disabled people.” A few days later, Sam found a flyer for ParaCliffHangers.
When we went the first time, cohort leads greeted us with “we are so glad you’re here” and fed us rice crispy treats. We’d been unsure whether Hannah would be able to belay - PCH volunteers had her certified a week later. “We’ve taught people who have no hand,” they said.
What’s been so special about PCH isn’t just that it’s given Hannah a disabled community to grow in, smashing her preexisting assumptions about her limitations. It’s that PCH has welcomed Sam, who has no physical disability, too. Both of us are climbers on equal footing, in this space, welcomed and embraced as contributors and recipients of the care PCH offers. That means more than we can express.
And that’s why we want to give back! From the evening of Jan. 24 to the early morning of Jan. 25, we’ll climb as many routes as we can while soaking up that silly, joyful PCH atmosphere that’s become a fundamental part of our climbing lives.
Please consider pledging a few dollars per route, or just making a donation for whatever amount you feel able. It will help fund PCH’s team for the paraclimbing national competition this year, where Hannah plans to compete. Like many realities that PCH has unlocked for her, this is a possibility Hannah never imagined for herself. We’re so excited to be a part of unlocking that reality for dozens of other paraclimbers, too!
Please also join us at Owl Night! You certainly don’t need to stay until 4am. We’d love to share with you the community and fun we’ve discovered in PCH.
Sam is a longtime climber. In the summer of 2025, Hannah was down to give it a try, but nervous about how limiting her disability (partial paralysis of the left shoulder, arm, and hand) might be. The first time we went to the gym together, Hannah said to Sam, “I just wish I could do this with other disabled people.” A few days later, Sam found a flyer for ParaCliffHangers.
When we went the first time, cohort leads greeted us with “we are so glad you’re here” and fed us rice crispy treats. We’d been unsure whether Hannah would be able to belay - PCH volunteers had her certified a week later. “We’ve taught people who have no hand,” they said.
What’s been so special about PCH isn’t just that it’s given Hannah a disabled community to grow in, smashing her preexisting assumptions about her limitations. It’s that PCH has welcomed Sam, who has no physical disability, too. Both of us are climbers on equal footing, in this space, welcomed and embraced as contributors and recipients of the care PCH offers. That means more than we can express.
And that’s why we want to give back! From the evening of Jan. 24 to the early morning of Jan. 25, we’ll climb as many routes as we can while soaking up that silly, joyful PCH atmosphere that’s become a fundamental part of our climbing lives.
Please consider pledging a few dollars per route, or just making a donation for whatever amount you feel able. It will help fund PCH’s team for the paraclimbing national competition this year, where Hannah plans to compete. Like many realities that PCH has unlocked for her, this is a possibility Hannah never imagined for herself. We’re so excited to be a part of unlocking that reality for dozens of other paraclimbers, too!
Please also join us at Owl Night! You certainly don’t need to stay until 4am. We’d love to share with you the community and fun we’ve discovered in PCH.
JAN
8
8
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