Climber Profile Series. 

Here’s my goal, once a month interview someone who has a passion for climbing or the outdoors but is also a professing Christian. For anyone like that, you know that balancing both can be demanding and people from each camp take both those identities very seriously. Well so do I. Every month I’m going to interview someone new. I’m praying for some really great conversations.

N: Some basic information if you don’t mind – tell us a bit about who you are, where you hail from, and what you do.

A: My name is Anak Verhoeven. I am an 18-year-old girl and I live in Belgium. Besides climbing, which takes a lot of my time, I like learning new languages, travelling, camping free and getting to know different cultures and people. I also enjoy being in nature and taking pictures of interesting plants and animals.

N: In general, what is your biggest draw to climbing right now? What kind of climbing do you usually participate in? 

A: What I love about climbing is the enormous variety in movements, routes and styles and the possibility to climb on indoor walls as well as outdoors. One of the things I appreciate most though, is the special atmosphere amongst climbers. It is great to see how even competition climbers can still encourage each other and talk together in a friendly way.

Right now, I mostly train for and compete in competitions, both national and international. A few times a year my parents and I make a trip to France or Spain for rock climbing. I really enjoy that as well.

N: What lead you to climbing?

A: Both my parents started climbing before I was born, so I have always seen them and other people climb. I started climbing when I was 4 years old and one of the things I enjoyed most back then was making huge swings while hanging in my little harness.

N: What lead you to Christianity?

A: My father has been travelling around the world for many years searching for the meaning of life. He eventually found the answer to his questions while travelling in New Zealand with my mother and they both became Christians there. My parents have always told me about Jesus and the Bible and I am very grateful for that. When I was 11 years old I made the choice to follow and serve Jesus for the rest of my life. I was baptized then and I have never regretted that choice.

N: Climbing and Christian identity can each take up a lot of space in our lives. People in both camps can devote their whole lives to that one thing. How does your Christian life impact your climbing life and vice versa? 

A: I believe that God has given me my talent for climbing and I want to use that talent for His glory. I have experienced that performances and even the attention of other people fade away very quickly and the joy of winning a competition or doing a hard climb doesn’t last that long. I am thankful that I can climb and compete for a greater purpose. My climbing life is definitely influenced by my Christian life, because I want to live it the way God wants me to.

N: How do you balance your time between your climbing life and your Christian life? Do you find that a struggle ever?

A: It can be difficult to keep on training, because sometimes it feels a really earthly and ordinary thing that lots of people do. It doesn’t feel spiritual at all and I find it hard sometimes to do what God wants me to do in the world of climbing where the ultimate goal is to be fit and in good shape. But then I realize that God has placed me here, because the climbers need to hear about Him as well! Even though some of them look happy and young and not in need of God, they are all lost without Him. So it is alright to spent a lot of time training and competing, if that is God’s plan for me right now.

N: Jumping off that point about Climbing and Christianity being very important to the people that follow them – how have each of those passions helped the other? In other words, how has being devoted to Christ helped you in your climbing?

A: There are times when I forget that I am climbing for Jesus and not for myself. That causes me to put an unhealthy pressure on myself to perform well, without letting Jesus be the middle of it all. It is tempting to climb for the people looking at me and it is easy to become proud. But when I look at Jesus and realize how mighty He is, I feel weak and tiny and not worthy of any praise. It gives real joy to climb for Jesus and trust Him in everything that happens instead of trying to gain people’s attention and approval.

N: What do you think is an effective way to spreading the gospel to other climbers? 

A: I think there are many different ways in which you can be a witness to fellow climbers. God gives each one of us a specific task in that particular place where He has put us in the climbers’ world. But I think it is important not to be ashamed of the gospel. Everyone may know that we are followers of Christ and that we believe in God. We have to stay the same wherever we go, not letting circumstances (like a bad climb…) or the people around us change our Christian character.

N: Likewise, do you encourage your Christian friends to come climbing with you?

A: I have never really done so… I don’t have many Christian friends, at least not in Belgium, but I do get to know more and more climbers who are Christians though!

N: Are there any Bible verses or Christian-related mantras that you keep in your mind while competing or working a route? 

A: No, I don’t have any specific Bible verses that I keep in mind, but I do pray while climbing.

N: When you’re really struggling on a route and everything seems against you – what helps you push through to win? Where does your strength come from? 

A: While climbing I think of the moment that will come after the climb. I know that if I give up, I will regret it afterwards. Never ever giving up is one of the key factors to success. That also counts for the Christian life: we persevere and we don’t give up until we have finished the race.

N: Has your faith helped you over come any obstacles? What about your climbing?

A: I think the only way through which I can overcome obstacles is through my faith in Jesus. There are constantly difficult circumstances and things that I struggle with. One of the biggest obstacles in my life is sin and my old self. Without Jesus, I would be utterly lost and there would be no hope for me to ever become righteous and without sin. But by His grace, I can be free from sin! I don’t know how I could be able to live without my faith in God.

N: And finally, do you have any unique rituals or habits that help you focus before a climb or competition?

My parents and I like praying together before competitions and I also have a little prayer just before I start a competition route.