Hi Team,

We’re excited to share that we’ve signed our first Pad Pro Athlete – Dylan Retsek.

Dylan is based right here in San Luis Obispo, where he somehow balances life as a math professor at Cal Poly, a parent (Hey Finn), and a competitive paraclimber with the U.S. National Paraclimbing Team. And while he’s been a part of The Pad community for years, he’s now stepping up to represent us on the world stage.

Here’s where Dylan will be competing this season:

1. World Cup – Salt Lake City, USA – May 20–21

2. World Cup – Innsbruck, Austria – June 23–24

3. World Championships – Seoul, South Korea -September 20–25

4. World Cup – Laval, France – October 23–26

Dylan’s journey to becoming a competitive athlete started with a chance climbing session with Maureen Beck, who saw his potential and told him he could make the national team. Now, after a ton of hard work and dedication, he’s out there doing exactly that. His story is a reminder of how powerful our community can be.

He’ll be sharing his journey with us this season through social media, photos, videos, and competition write-ups. If you see him around the gym, be sure to cheer him on — and let’s keep an eye out for his updates as he takes on the world!