NINA WILLIAMS
TIMELINE: KEY MOMENTS OF LEARNING
BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL CLIMBER
2010-2012
I started climbing when I was 12 years old, participating in youth competitions until the age of 18. I continued climbing outdoors and developed strong ties within a community of like-minded people across the world. After high school graduation, I briefly attended the University of Rhode Island but found myself discouraged and unmotivated. I changed my major four times, struggling against the standard path of higher education, employment, and financial security.  The future was uncertain. But two things were certain for me: I did not want to be in school at the time, and I did want to climb. These two certainties sealed my next decisions. I dropped out of URI in 2010 and moved from Rhode Island to Colorado. I worked three jobs while competing in National- and World Cup-level events. I traveled the country in search of the best outdoor climbing. I home-based in Boulder, a city known for its training culture and community of elite athletes. These networks ignited my physical abilities and mental motivations. I gained several paid sponsors in 2011 and was subsequently signed by global sportswear manufacturer Adidas in 2012. The best lesson in pursing my dreams was that, instead of worrying about what I didn’t know, I focused on what I did know.
COACHING YOUTH AND COLLEGIATE TEAMS
2010-2014
I had the great honor and opportunity to coach the University of Northern Colorado Climbing Team from 2010 to 2012, and the nationally-ranked ABC Kids Climbing Team from 2012 to 2014. These experiences built the foundations for my personal training programming and implementations.
BRAND NARRATIVES
2012-2018
As an athlete, I competed until 2017 and continued pursuing outdoor objectives. I accomplished first female ascents upwards of V13 in bouldering and 5.13+ in sport and traditional climbing. But my experiences with storytelling left a greater impact than my athletic achievements. I ran the Adidas Outdoors College Outreach Program from 2013 to 2015, strengthening brand visibility by partnering with outdoor recreation clubs. I also gained valuable experience working as the Adidas Outdoors Social Media Manager (North America) in tandem with the primary Adidas communications office in Germany, from 2014 to 2016. These responsibilities taught me how to connect personal stories with brand campaigns that resulted in the amplification of both narratives.
SPONSOR SHIFTS
2019-2020
Adidas afforded me incredible opportunities, but I eventually reached a developmental plateau. Working in the United States for a German brand posed geographical and cultural barriers. I felt that the brand was a little too big for the impact I wanted to make on both corporate environments and local communities. At the end of 2018, I decided to leave Adidas and join The North Face' global athlete team. TNF has a solid reputation in the outdoor industry and I felt incredibly honored for their consideration. I am optimistic about creating meaningful change close to home, and excited to continue my athlete career even as I expand towards something different in the long-term. The past two years as a TNF athlete has taught me lessons in teamwork, accountability, and organization. I love working closely with my athlete managers because they invite my opinions and ideas on how to change the culture of climbing as a whole. I’ve learned that the only mistake is not trying at all. Even when things don’t pan out, there are hidden victories within each perceived failure.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
2018 - current
In 2018, I made two major decisions: I enrolled at the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (IPEC), an ICF accredited program in personal development. I earned my CPC and ELI-MP which gave me the confidence to confront my next transformational step. Since dropping out of the University of Rhode Island, I told myself for years that I was not smart enough for higher education. I did not believe one needed a college degree to be successful, and spent the majority of my twenties proving that to myself. But during that process, I internalized my own intellectual oppression. During my time at IPEC, I shifted my personal limits. I returned to school, first Front Range Community College, and then the University of Colorado, to write a story different than the one I had been telling myself for the past decade.
