Hi, my name is Artur Tashbolotov. I am a Grade 11 student in Waterloo Region and the founder of Access to Climbing.

I started climbing at 9. Before that, I tried Taekwondo, soccer, swimming, and gymnastics. None of them worked for me — I had a health condition that made traditional sports really difficult. Climbing was different. It didn't require a team. It didn't require a specific body type. It was problem-solving. It was interesting. And for the first time in sport, I could actually do it.

I went from a kid who had never found his place in sport to competing in international and open challenges. When I started bringing friends to the gym — friends who had also struggled to fit into traditional sports — I watched something shift in them. More confident. Physically stronger. Genuinely happier.

That's when I realized this wasn't just my story.

The Problem

A single drop-in climbing session costs $24. For youth from low-income families, newcomers still finding their footing, or teenagers who've just never been introduced to the sport — that door stays closed.

According to the 2023 Waterloo Region Youth Impact Survey:

— Almost 50% of local youth rate their mental health as fair or poor

— 30% of youth aged 16-18 report a low sense of belonging — the highest of any age group

— 15% go to school or to bed hungry — tripled since 2021

I think about what climbing did for me and my friends. A place where you're not competing against anyone. Where you surprise yourself. Where you figure out you're more capable than you thought. Cost should never be the reason a young person never finds their sport.

The Solution

We built Access to Climbing as a direct response to what those numbers tell us.

Once a month, we bring high school students aged 13–17 to a free two-hour bouldering session at Grand River Rock in Waterloo — a welcoming, professional facility that shares our belief that climbing should be for everyone. We specifically focus on youth facing financial hardship, newcomers still finding their footing, and teenagers who have simply never been introduced to the sport. Participants pay nothing to attend.

The goal is not just a great first experience. It is a genuine entry point into a sport that builds confidence, physical health, and a sense of belonging — things the data tells us Waterloo Region youth need most right now.

Year 1 goal: 10 sessions, 40–70 youth served.

Where Your Donation Goes

$19.77 sponsors one participant for one full session

$197 funds one complete session for an entire group

All funds are received and managed by Natalia Tashbolotova — my mom, a nonprofit professional, and our Adult Advisor and Safety Lead who is present at every session. Money is held in a co-signed dedicated account in the project's name. Every dollar goes directly to running the program, and we post an update after every session so you know exactly where it went.

Our first session is at the end of April.

If you've ever watched someone discover what they're capable of — you know what this is about.

Every young person who walks through that door leaves a little more confident and a little more certain of themselves. That doesn't stay on the wall. It follows them into school, their friendships, into everything after.

Confident youth become resilient adults. Resilient adults build stronger communities. Changed lives change society.

Donate today. Share this page with someone who believes in young people.

Together, we open the door.

Thank you for being part of this.

— Artur Tashbolotov, Founder, Access to Climbing