Who We Are
She Sends was born from my own experience as a climber and athlete — and from witnessing what becomes possible when women and gender‑expansive climbers are given space to learn, explore, and grow in ways that feel genuinely aligned.
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Hi! I’m Chelsea Rude, a former National Champion and professional climber. I began teaching women‑specific climbing clinics in the early 2000s while I was still in high school — not because those spaces were readily available, but because they largely didn’t exist for me. From the very beginning, I noticed how different the energy felt when women learned together: more curiosity, more permission to ask questions, and more room to define success on their own terms.
That realization shaped everything that followed.
In 2012, with Adidas' support as an athlete, I was given the opportunity to travel across the country specifically to share my knowledge with women climbers. That chapter deeply informed my approach to teaching and reinforced what I already knew — that education rooted in care, autonomy, and shared experience has the power to transform not just how people climb, but how they trust themselves.
Around that time, I began calling both the spirit of this work and the clinics themselves She Sends. What started as a name slowly became a vision. In 2020, I officially formed She Sends Collective, creating the organization that exists today.
Early on, I witnessed the quiet magic that happens when people feel safe enough to try, to fail, to ask questions, and to take up space — especially in a sport that has historically been male‑dominated. I knew I wanted to protect and grow that magic. Today, She Sends Collective serves women and gender‑expansive climbers of all backgrounds and experience levels through inclusive, thoughtfully designed climbing clinics. Access matters deeply to me, which is why She Sends operates on a subsidized payment model — so finances are never the reason someone doesn’t get to show up.
At the core of everything we do is a trauma‑conscious approach to education. I believe climbing can be a powerful tool for building self‑trust, resilience, and connection — but only when people feel genuinely supported. Our clinics are designed to meet climbers exactly where they are, encouraging autonomy, confidence, and growth at each individual’s pace.
She Sends is more than climbing.
It’s about community, care, and creating spaces where people feel seen — on the rock and beyond it.
She Sends believes that when climbers are given equitable access to education and supportive environments, they are better equipped to take up space, pursue leadership, and realize their full potential within climbing and beyond.
Our Mission
She Sends exists to expand access to high-quality climbing education for women and gender-expansive climbers through trauma-conscious, community-centered experiences that foster agency, connection, and self-trust.
Our Vision
She Sends envisions a future where women and gender-expansive climbers have meaningful access to education that is both rigorous and deeply human.
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We imagine climbing spaces where learning is rooted in care, curiosity, and self-trust — where people are supported in exploring their potential on their own terms, both on and off the wall.
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Through strong, inclusive community, She Sends aims to help climbers recognize their capacity not just as athletes, but as learners, leaders, and whole humans — carrying that confidence into all areas of life.