Maureen (Mo) Beck

One of the first professional paraclimbers in the world, Mo Beck has been climbing since she was 12 which, at this point, feels like her entire life. Mo started climbing before the internet was a thing, so for almost a decade she thought she was the only disabled person who climbed. Happy to be wrong about that, she started competing in paraclimbing in 2021 and has since won 10 National Championships, 2 World Championships, and several world cup and world champ medals. With Paraclimbing recently being added to the Paralympic schedule for the first time, she’s going to chase some alpine big mountains dreams before buckling down to attempt to make the 2028 US Paralympic team. Never one to lose sight of her outdoor roots, Mo has turned to the big mountains and was awarded National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year after an expedition to the Cirque of the Unclimbables in northern Canada and continues to grow her skills in the big alpine peaks of North and South America. A show with Mo will feel more like storytelling around a cozy campfire than a presentation, but her tall tales will leave you wanting to start your own adventure while taking risks and breaking wild new trails along the way. With her trademark wit and humor, you’ll learn what it takes to build a community in a space that didn’t exist before, taking inspiration from the strength of the people and world around you. Off the rock, Mo stays busy as the Education Director for the Adaptive Climbers Festival and sits on the boards of USA Climbing and the American Alpine Club. On her rest days you’ll find her on a raft, rod in hand, sipping a whiskey.