Hi, my name is Kara Spurr and I am fundraising to compete in the 2025 Paralympic World Cup Circuit and World Championship this year. I am planning on attending the World Cup event in Salt Lake City, Utah this May and on to Innsbruck, Austria in late June. The Paraclimbing Championship will be held in Seoul, South Korea this September and it is my goal to take part in this event.

I am a disabled climber and have been climbing for the past 3 years. My disabilities include multiple neurological conditions including epilepsy and cerebral palsy that affect the functioning in both legs and right upper extremity. I have limited use of my right hand and poor range of motion to effectively grab and hold. To further complicate my abilities, I am legally blind with no peripheral vision.

Last March, I competed for the very first time at the USA Para Climbing Nationals and through my hard work and training, I secured a spot on the USA 2024 Para Climbing Team. In June, I went on to the World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria. The experience was amazing.

This past summer, I spent 2 months in Boston hospitals. In August, I had an outpatient surgical procedure and was administered an anesthetic medication that caused multiple life-threatening seizures. I remained in a coma-like state for 6 weeks with recurrent seizures and lost my ability to stand or walk. This routine medical procedure caused major setbacks and disappointment as I watched the remaining Para Climbing events from my hospital bed.

I started my recovery at Spaulding Rehab Hospital in Charlestown, MA. I had many setbacks as I continued with seizures that landed me back at ICU at Mass General/Brigham.

My will to survive and get back to climbing brought me through, and I continued to work long and hard to regain my mobility. I used hand weights and finger presses in my hospital bed to maintain my upper body strength and worked with physical therapists every day. Eventually, my ability to stand and walk returned so I could go home. Determination and persistence led me to the gym, and I started back to the climbing gym 2-3 times a week, increasing my strength and ability one step at a time.

Recently, I traveled to Oakland, California to compete in the National Paraclimbing Championship where I earned 4th place on the USA ParaClimbing Team.

My determination to beat all the obstacles in my life has never been stronger and with your donation and support, I will win my place at the World Cup and Championship.

Funds raised will go towards lodging, transportation and medical expenses.

Thank you for your support!