Brooke Ledbetter: Texas Lady Crusher's Member Spotlight

Name: Brooke Ledbetter

Origin: Waterbury, Connecticut

Current Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Brooke was always active as a child and liked rocking climbing walls when she'd go to an event that had one. Brooke didn't know of a climbing gym until she was in her 20s. One day, she walked in to try it out and immediately fell in love.

Brooke's been a member of the Texas Lady Crushers for about a year or so. The first time she climbed outside was with the group! Woo hoo! She said she was pretty scared on her first route and practically crying, but everyone was so supportive. She felt like she had found her girl tribe, and we are so glad she did. Brooke was also one of our hard-working volunteers for the driveway project at Monster Rock in Spicewood, Texas. It was a hot and arduous day, but she had a positive attitude and greatly contributed to our success. Thank you for donating time to the local climbing community, Brooke. It really meant a lot!

Since bouldering is Brooke's favorite type of climbing, it's no surprise some of her favorite spots are Joshua Tree in California, and Bull Creek in Austin, Texas. As for rope climbing, Mineral Wells and Milton Reimers Ranch in Central Texas are the two crags she visits. Summit Climbing and Fitness is her home gym, and where she celebrated her proudest send - a 10b! Bravo! If Brooke is climbing at the gym, she absolutely loves listening to music. But, if she's climbing outdoors, she prefers to take in all the location and scenery have to offer - including the ambient noise. (So do we, Brooke!)

Along with rock climbing, Brooke enjoys snorkeling and hiking. Some of her favorite parks include Joshua Tree in California, White Sands in New Mexico, as well as the Carcross Desert, the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, and the Yukon Emerald Lake in Canada. Her favorite trail snacks are pretzel chips and homemade hummus (yay for salt and protein!). She also loves a good PB&J since it's easy to eat and if done right, you'll have nothing to throw away.

Brooke has gained a lot from climbing, but what it's given her most is strength. Along with that, she's learned to not be so hard on herself when she can't send that day, since that can carry over to everyday life. She reminds herself to just go with the flow and do what she can that day. Awesome friends are also the product of climbing. She's made some really good ones along the way.

Brooke's advice for people looking to get into climbing is: "DO IT!" "Go to your local climbing gym, check out the events calendar and see which ones you'd like to attend. Go to the events you think other people you'd vibe with would go to, even if you go alone." Summit has a group called the Lady Crushers League. The first meet-up she went to, she attended by herself and that same day she met her now best friend.

Brooke owns and operates the sole vegan and sustainable spa in DFW. She started her business all by herself and made it through the global pandemic with her doors still open for business. It certainly serves as one of her proudest accomplishments - as it should!