Plenty of kids grow up climbing rocks — but few did it to the extreme that Brooke Raboutou did.
The Colorado native — who appropriately hails from Boulder — spent her childhood being encouraged to climb whatever and wherever she could.
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"Both of my parents were professional rock climbers, world champions," Raboutou said in an interview with NBC. "So, I was pretty much born into it. I started out as just a little baby climbing rocks. I think probably, opposite of most parents, instead of 'stop climbing that,' it was 'grab that, hang on that.'"
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When climbing was introduced at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Raboutou was one of four athletes (two women, two men) to represent Team USA. She advanced through qualification and into the final, where she placed fifth.
The goal in 2024, of course, is to perform even better. Raboutou, 23, earned a bronze medal at the 2023 Climbing World Championships, which could be a sign of things to come at the Paris Olympics.
"I personally just love heights, which a lot of people maybe don't, but I love the thrill factor," she said. "I just feel in control when I can see everything above me, and I like that aspect."
Raboutou's love of heights was passed down from her parents, who were accomplished athletes in the same sport. Her mother, Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou, is a four-time World Cup champion, while her father, Didier Raboutou, competed for the French national team, which makes the upcoming Games in Paris even more significant.
The family of climbers continues to inspire each other as their youngest members prepare for another Olympic journey.
"When we're sharing the same passion, that's the beauty of our relationship and of this sport is that we can still practice it together," Erbesfield-Raboutou said.
Brooke, whose older brother, Shawn, is also a professional climber, echoed her mother's sentiment about how the sport brings them together.
"We help each other of just balancing ideas, whether it's in life or in climbing, just talking through it and then learning together," Raboutou said.
