When does Chea globetrot?

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She runs up a hill at the speed of light. She is rock climber Chea Amelia Ch Marak from Bengaluru. This month, she represented the country in the Asian Youth Sport Climbing Championship in Iran. She took part in the lead and speed categories. Chea was the only girl from India. After competing across the globe, Chea is currently training for the nationals.

She placed fifth and sixth in both and says, “The competition was tough. There are two categories that we compete in, lead and speed. Lead is a difficult climb that requires more technique. Speed on the other hand involves two climbers that run up and the one with the best speed wins.”
Chea has competed in competitions across the globe. This 17-year-old started training in rock climbing at the age of 12. She says, “When you go abroad and see other climbers, you learn a lot from them.”
Climbing came easy to this Mount Carmel College second PUC student. She says, “When I was a kid I used to climb trees and walls. I then read about an international climber. One requires a cool mind, a lot of power endurance and training to compete.” She juggles classes and training with ease.
Kirti Pais is her coach and she trains at Kanteerva Stadium. She goes for training in the morning, then to college for the day and then trains in the evening again. Her most memorable experience was her first international competition in Malaysia when she was 13-years -old. “I won the silver medal there and it was simply awesome. It was also memorable because my coach was travelling with me and is very encouraging.”
To keep fit, she does cardio, pull ups and abs every day. She has been participating in the nationals every year. “This year, I am looking forward to a win at the nationals in November. I am also hoping to go to the World Youth Championship in France after that,” she says.
Ask this young gun who she owes her success to and she says, “My parents and coach.” When not training or competing, she is listening to music and doing other outdoor activities apart from attending classes.