Team

Julie a native Virginian considered Alabama her second home as she visited her family often and spent many happy summers skiing, boating, and enjoying her family at Lake Guntersville. Julie graduated from George Mason University with a degree in Psychology, but her interest has always been in assistive technology that helps create inclusion for all. Julie was a participant in Catalyst Greater DC and when she moved to Alabama her passion for climbing soared. A serious medical setback took her off the ropes for a while, but she continued to work on adaptive technologies and follow climbing. When she was able to return to climbing at High Point her love of climbing, interest in adaptive/assistive services, and her inner engineer pushed her to volunteer and help start the Huntsville Catalyst Chapter. She looks forward to connecting her physical therapy and climbing pals to volunteering and experiencing the thrill of bringing climbing to others.

From Franklin, TN Amy is the Executive Director of ABLE Youth, a wheelchair sports and independence non-profit for kids and youth in Nashville. She started climbing in 2014 when Catalyst came to Nashville for their first climb and became our chapter’s coordinator last year. As a wheelchair user herself, having spina bifida and no leg function, Amy saw climbing as a new challenge and a new way to build my strength. “I have always loved both new adventures and fitness, and climbing has fulfilled both of those passions.” Amy regularly races in her wheelchair and is training for her 9th half marathon. She has seen that climbing has really made a difference in her strength, especially in muscle groups that she doesn’t use otherwise and wanted others to experience the benefits of climbing, too. Amy loves seeing new climbers try something for the first time and realize that they can do something that they may never have thought that they could do before. We even have people in our chapter who are able to reduce their physical therapy appointments because climbing provides them with a way to use and strengthen their muscles in a fun way. I also really enjoy seeing the other climbers at our climbing gym watch our Catalyst climbers. They may not even realize that they have a disability at first when they see them on the wall, but they soon realize that a Catalyst climber’s disability isn’t a barrier to climbing, just as it doesn’t have to be a barrier to a full and active life in general. Amy truly believes that climbing at Catalyst is much more than climbing; it’s changing perceptions of disability in society and breaking down barriers.​

Mark Huckeba, who prefers to go by Huck, graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in risk management and insurance and describes himself as a climbing addict. In 2004 Huck successfully hiked the Appalachian Trail from end to end and developed a strong sense of adventure. Hiking the trail brought him his first job at the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire and introduced him to climbing. Throughout several moves and jobs, climbing remained a steady hobby for Huck. He began the discipline of climbing at the Triangle Rock Club in Raleigh, NC. After a year of climbing at TRC, Huck began to volunteer belay children’s birthday parties and eventually began to lead groups to climbing destinations in the southeast. Currently, on the side, Huck teaches and coaches climbing at Life Time Fitness in Woodstock, Georgia. He teaches top rope and lead climbing skills to adults, leads a class for children, coaches a youth climb team and leads all climbing summer camps. In addition, Huck instructs belay certification classes.