About the Book
Foreword by Harold J Wimmer, National President and CEO, American Lung Association
See Jane Climb introduces the reader to the "hardest sport you've never heard of," the world of competitive stair climbing and tells the story of how Jane began her journey from "fat to fit" at the age of 51.
The book chronicles over a half dozen competitive climbs, from the author's first climb in Los Angeles in 2008 to the inaugural event at the new Freedom Tower in New York City in May 2015. The reader climbs with Jane and feels her pain and exhilaration along the way. The reader also trains and prepares, and experiences the sacrifice and dedication it takes for a climber to excel in the sport.
See Jane Climb is a memoir as well. She grew up in a well-off but dysfunctional family in rural Western Pennsylvania. Her father, a respected surgeon, was also a binge alcoholic with a violent temper. She describes her family history, the family’s "food-centricity" and her issues with food as a child. Jane grew into an adult with anxiety, trust and self-esteem issues that created problems with food, alcohol and tobacco. She takes the reader through her spiritual journey, too.
Also incorporated in the book are the stories of more than three-dozen of Jane's “step- siblings” ages 15-80. Preview their stories and learn about other climbers in the global stair climbing community on the Be Inspired page.
The global stair climbing community is a group as diverse as the general population itself. They are the nicest athletes on the planet, mostly “everyday athletes,” average people with a passion for an unusual sport.
Climbers are students, retirees, engineers, lawyers, teachers and single parents, as well as personal trainers and fitness buffs. Climbers are gay, vegan, asthmatic, even amputees. Jane's teammates include a doorman from NYC, a male flight attendant, a fatal crash analyst for the California Highway Patrol. One climber works for Groupon, another teaches blind children. At least two So Cal climbers don’t own a car. A common passion for pushing their minds and bodies beyond ordinary limits has transformed hundreds of individual climbers into an intimate stepfamily, with a little help from social media.
See Jane Climb is the story of the author's life and how the sport of stair climbing and the support of the international stair climbing community motivated her to overcome issues that prevented her from living her life to the fullest.
Did you know? towerrunningusa.com is currently tracking over 35,000 climbers in the USA.