"I couldn’t see myself not climbing. I’d be really unhappy if I weren’t able to go outside, visit different environments and see different cultures.”

Every so often, an athlete comes along who excels at a chosen sport from the get-go. Such is Lisa Rands.

Rands ’99 is a world-class boulderer, a sport akin to rock climbing. In the five years she’s been competing professionally, Rands has been ranked No. 1 in the world (2002), was the first American to win the coveted international World Cup, and has been ranked No. 1 in the United States four times (2000-03). At age 29, and with nearly two dozen victories under her belt, there’s clearly much more to come.

Born and reared in Claremont, Rands began bouldering after high school. She enrolled at Cal Poly Pomona in 1995 and took up the sport primarily to keep in shape.

“I realized I could climb and train for power to stay in shape for bouldering, but I didn’t have to train for endurance— which is what’s needed for route climbing,” says Rands, who lives and trains in bouldering paradise Bishop.

Popularized in the 1990s, bouldering is largely a technique sport that demands mental toughness and power. Indoor competition involves a large, freestanding artificial rock that athletes maneuver around to solve predefined “problems,” and grading is based on difficulty. Climbers, using only special shoes and a foam crash pad, rarely ascend more than 25 feet. Outdoor climbing also is popular, though is not done competitively.

In 2002 Rands won her first World Cup in Lecco, Italy, and the 2002 Open des Ecrins, at L’Argentière La Bessé, France, finishing her first year of international competition ranked No. 1. She also has won the 2003 Phoenix Bouldering Contest, the world’s largest bouldering competition.

A geology graduate, Rands credits her Cal Poly Pomona experience with giving her the toughness and determination to succeed, as well as cementing her interest in the outdoors and the environment around her.

“It is nice to go outside and know what you’re climbing on, to be able to identify
mineralogy and rock type,” says Rands, whose husband, Wills, is her coach. “It’s definitely given me an appreciation for different rock types and styles and an
understanding of why a rock feels a certain way in different parts of the world. It’s nice to think you have the tools to make different geologic interpretations.”

While successful competitively, Rands also enjoys outdoor climbing.

“There’s a whole world of climbing outside of competition. As I’ve stepped away from competition and started focusing more on outdoor climbing, I’ve come to realize how many boulderers are not involved in competition at all. They really look at your achievements outside for inspiration.”

As age 30 approaches, Rands looks forward to perhaps another 10 years of competitive bouldering. Beyond that, she plans to lecture, teach, work as a guide — and in some way climb. In her mind, Rands will always climb.

“I couldn’t see myself not climbing,” she said. “I’d be really unhappy if I weren’t able to go outside, visit different environments and see different cultures. Through bouldering, I’ve had this amazing opportunity to see places that most people can only read about. For me, that’s what bouldering is all about.”