Earlier this summer, recent Naperville Central graduate Anderson Fuhrer reached new heights, finishing in second place in the U19 division for lead sport climbing at the USA Climbing Youth Nationals in Portland, Oregon. The runner-up performance will send Fuhrer to compete in the International Federation of Sport Climbing Youth World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, at the end of July. It’s been a winding ascent to the top for the Naperville native, a journey that began nearly a decade ago.
A 10-year climb to the top
“I first really started climbing after I went to a birthday party at the Lifetime Fitness in Warrenville,” said Fuhrer. “ And then after that, I just kept wanting to go back, and I asked my parents to go back all the time.”
Fuhrer would end up joining a team in Warrenville, but eventually got an offer to move on to a bigger gym in Glendale Heights with the Vertical Endeavors team.
“And then, that’s when I started competitively climbing through USA climbing,” said Fuhrer.
A passion for climbing that would reach new heights
The son of Neuqua Valley principal, Dr. Lance Fuhrer, Anderson grew up competing locally in sports like swimming and football, but by his sophomore year of high school, his interest in climbing rose above the rest. He dedicated his focus to training exclusively for sport climbing, while sharing his passion by working as a coach and route setter at ABC Climbing inside Funtopia in Naperville.
“I would say quitting football was one of the big ones because it was a sport I’d played all my life,” said Fuhrer. “And it was something I didn’t necessarily have to do, but I really wanted to sacrifice in order to improve my climbing. Quitting football also came with not being as close with a lot of my friends there, and just having to sacrifice more time training rather than partying or hanging out with my friends. So it’s definitely been a big thing, but it was worth it.”
Sport Climbing rises in popularity
In the meantime, the popularity of sport climbing would grow as well. It officially became an Olympic sport in 2020, with participants competing in separariste event categories.
“So there’s three different disciplines of climbing. “One is speed climbing, which is the same route every time, which I don’t do. And then there’s lead climbing, and that’s the one I got second in. That is on a rope, and you use like 60- to 50-foot walls, and a rope is attached to you, and you clip draws on the way up for protection. The goal is to get as high as possible. The route is different every time for every competition. And then there’s bouldering, which is that, and like 15 or 10-foot walls. Shorter problems, but also different every single time,” Fuhrer explained.
While his previous athletic background prepared Anderson for the rigors of training, the skills needed to reach the top of the lead climbing world are unique, and training locations can be sparse.
“I think other sports gave me a really good background or just a base of endurance and strength. But my coach also has me doing a lot of strength training. We did pull-ups and just general bench press and stuff like that. All that helps on the wall. And then also just a lot of fitness and endurance training, because a lot of times the routes and competition are just like something you can’t even train on, especially in the Midwest. So I have to go above and beyond to try to find my own ways to train for those routes,” said Fuhrer.
Fuhrer competed at the USA Youth Nationals for the first time in 2021, returning every year after training with his team and coaches, improving with each performance.
This summer, shortly after celebrating his graduation from Naperville Central High School, everything clicked for Fuhrer as he made the semifinals in bouldering before finishing in second place in the lead climbing category.
“It’s definitely a dream come true after last nationals didn’t go as well as I wanted to. I definitely had higher goals. I pretty much dedicated the next year to getting this result. So the hard work definitely paid off when I was able to top the finals route,” said Fuhrer. “I definitely felt a lot of pressure for myself because I knew what I had to do, but I was trying to just focus on the route itself and my own climbing and being present rather than focusing on the result. So I was able to clear my mind and just execute.”
Fuhrer to showcase his skills overseas before heading west
The top three athletes qualified for the U.S. Youth National Team, but also the U.S. National Development Team, a program designed to support and prepare climbers for future elite, world, and Olympic competitions.
In Finland, Fuhrer will compete against nearly 100 climbers from across the globe, representing more than 40 countries.
“I’m excited to go to Finland and meet new people. As for the competition, I don’t have too many expectations because I have my first international competition, so I don’t know how high the level will be or not, but I’m definitely just excited to gain that experience,” said Fuhrer.
After the Youth World Championships, the former Redhawk will head west to study kinesiology at the University of Utah, which offers one of the top climbing programs in the country. Despite being the lone Midwesterner on the roster, Fuhrer has proved to the world that the hundreds of hours of work put into the climbing wall have paid off, and now the sky is the limit.
Photo Courtesy: Fuhrer family
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