John Willard

John was born in Singapore but moved to the state of Massachusetts in 2000 at the age of 5 and is the youngest of 6 boys. Moving to the United States is where his love of sports and athletic activities began. Playing football for 10+ years, he got the chance to understand what being a part of a team meant and learned many life lessons through the sport. Hard work and determination are ingrained into his DNA.

Coming from a low-income family, outdoor activities such as climbing, hiking, snowboarding, mountaineering, etc. were out of the question as a youth. It wasn’t until the age of 13 where John fell in love with the outdoors when he got his first snowboard. Climbing didn’t come into the picture until an intro to climbing course in college. The physical and mental aspects of climbing is what John loves the most about climbing. Being able to understand the risks and ways to mitigate them is what makes climbing such an amazing sport, activity, or hobby. It helps you to tap into your brain and understand that your brain can be your worst enemy. John is a big advocate for continuing education and will continue to gain certifications through the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA).