The Front's Staff

Hilary has been an avid climber for 30 years. Growing up on the East Coast, she began climbing in the Gunks, making the trek from NYC every weekend. As a former gymnast, the transition to climbing came naturally, but mastering the mental and technical aspects of the sport took time. Hilary competed at local and national levels for many years. She later embarked on a yearlong climbing road trip, embracing "vanlife," which ultimately led her to settle in Salt Lake City. She continues to sport climb and boulder outdoors, as well as in the gym.

For the past seven years, Hilary has been a coach at The Front, building on her years of experience coaching gymnastics. She works with the Youth Competition Team, the Adaptive Paraclimbing Team, and the "Upending Parkinson’s" group. She also teaches adult programming and works as a private coach. As a climbing coach, Hilary specializes in teaching movement, the mental aspects of the sport, breathwork, and fear management. She believes movement is at the core of climbing, with all other skills building upon that foundation. She finds it incredibly rewarding to see climbers make small adjustments in their position or movement initiation, allowing them to succeed in moves they previously struggled with.

Hilary works with both youth and adult climbers, including adaptive athletes, from beginner to advanced levels in all aspects of the sport including lead, top rope and bouldering.

Hilary’s coaching philosophy centers on developing the whole athlete—not just their climbing skills, but also their emotional and mental resilience. She believes a growth mindset is key to improvement and that a shift in perspective can transform challenges into opportunities for growth. Her holistic approach helps athletes become the best climbers they can be, whether their goals are recreational or competitive, in the gym or outdoors.

Hilary was an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah for 15 years. She now runs a private practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist. She is also the proud parent of a former Front Competition Team athlete.

I'm Adam! I'm a transplant from Atlanta, Georgia. I originally grew up in Florida but I did not take climbing seriously until I moved to Atlanta. When I started youth coaching for the Stone Summit Team, I immediately knew I was passionate about it. When I'm not climbing, I am playing an instrument, hiking, swimming, or cooking. I am also passionate about animal welfare and food access equality.

Howdy! My name is Eli, and I am a former comp team athlete at the front. I decided to start coaching after I was done competing because I enjoy climbing so much, and so that I could share the joy and knowledge of climbing with others!

Hi, my name Grant and I have been climbing for over 6 years. I started climbing by going to my friend's birthday party at a local gym and went on to join a team and compete. Now I enjoy climbing outside as much as possible. I love coaching because I can share my love for climbing, and some of my best memories are with my climbing team.

Hello there, my name is Alexis and I’ve been climbing since 2017. I began climbing at The Front and soon after became a climbing instructor for summer camp at The Front in 2018, and became a climbing coach the same year. It's been amazing to work with the same kids for years and helping new kids as well. Besides climbing, I love yoga, playing D&D, and rollerblading!

Hi there, I’m James McCarson! I’m a student at the University of Utah studying Parks, Recreation, and Tourism & English. I’m a passionate climber, who prefers bouldering and I love sharing the sport with new people. When not climbing I love reading, writing, music, and finding new adventures to go on.

I did not grow up climbing, but I did grow up calling the Wasatch mountains home, spending countless hours in the mountains skiing, hiking, camping, biking. It wasn’t until the end of high school that I began climbing; a few new circles of friends were climbing, and I would tag along. Very quickly I grew fond of the sport, spending almost every evening climbing for many hours. Not only did I feel the physical benefits of climbing, but the emotional and mental benefits, plus the problem solving is enjoyable with my background in math. I hope through coaching to develop life-long healthy climbers.

My name is Michael Pickner and I’m 20 years old. I have been strength training for over seven years and my knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics has benefited my own climbing and training immensely. I love coaching because I get to see the athletes progress their skills as not only climbers but also people. I believe climbing is extremely valuable because it teaches calculated, independent, and critical thinking that can be applied everywhere in your life.