Tennessee

On Episode 281 of the Enormocast, Jon Hawk and Tye Liggins from Memphis Rox join to discuss the mission of the famous pay-what-you-can gym, Memphis Rox, in the inner-city of Memphis, TN. Jon is director of operations, and Tye went from walk-in to head coach and course-setter. Memphis Rox, founded by Tom Shadyac in 2018, is a nonprofit climbing gym, but as we find out from Jon and Tye, it is so much more: food center, voting center, work training center, health center, and more. Since its founding, the gym has used its experience to grow and remake itself to serve the community around it. Most importantly, its fostered a diverse and supportive climbing community in the unlikeliest of places.

Tye’s Rox story

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On Episode 265 of the Enormocast, I connect with climber and influencer, Drew Hulsey. Drew saw Free Solo and pretty much lost his mind for climbing. Despite the feats of Alex Honnold being at the most extreme end of the sport, Drew found himself wondering “Can fat people do this?” Not even sure that the ropes would hold, Drew hit up his local gym and after a few sessions “learning the ropes”, he was hooked. But he did look around and notice that he was different from the predominately lithe climbers around him. In the media, too, Drew didn’t see climbers of his size. So despite opening himself up to the vagaries of social media comments, Drew started an Instagram account with the idea of making his struggles and triumphs as a larger person public. Now a “sponsored” climber and influencer, Drew uses his social media and clinics to help larger people not just discover climbing, but feel welcomed into the pretty overtly body-conscious community.

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Tag: Tennessee

Enormocast 281: Jon Hawk and Tye Liggins of Memphis Rox – Peace Above All

Enormocast 265: Drew Hulsey – Just a Climber Like EveryBODY Else