Athletes Who Win in Sport and Storytelling, Volume 7: Climbers
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Not every climber posts their send. But the ones who do are changing how people are influenced.
These are the climbers who don't just climb, they document every route, test every piece of kit, and build communities of followers who trust their word over any ad.
Climbing participation has surged in recent years, bouldering is the fastest-growing segment in the industry, with a reported 20% annual growth rate according to the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). The creators leading that wave aren't influencers in the traditional sense, but they're athletes first, with the calluses to back it up.
That's exactly the kind of creator outdoor brands need to be working with. Popfly connects brands with creators like these, making it easier to run campaigns that feel as authentic as the content itself.
Performance alone doesn’t drive culture anymore
Being elite is still impressive but it’s no longer enough to earn attention.
The athletes who matter today are the ones who can:
- Do the thing at a high level
- Explain it in a way that resonates
- Show it in a way that stops the scroll
- Build trust through consistency and transparency
Popfly is spotlighting the athletes who can do both
To help brands adapt to this new era, we’re curating a series spotlighting athletes who can both perform at the highest level and create content that actually resonates.
These are the athletes who:
- Have proven expertise in their sport
- Create content that actually connects
- Influence buying decisions through trust, not hype
- Represent the future of creator‑driven sports marketing
1. Sierra Knot
2. Dylan Stone
3. Alice Held
4. Tim Banfield
5. Kelly Birch
6. Pamela Shanti Pack
7. Meredith June Hill
8. Austin Sarles
9. Beau Martino
10. Sonnie Trotter
11. Ethan Pringle
12. Savannah Cummins
13. Paige Claassen
14. Campbell Harrison
15. Adam Ondra
16. Nekaia Sanders
17. Adriene Akiko
18. Brian Zarzuela
19. Climbers of Color
20. Nadya Gianifa
21. The Gravity Lab
22. Andrew Megas-Russell
23. Randy Leavitt
24. Dr. Brittany Wallace
25. Steffi
26. Liv Squyres
27. Charley
28. Julianne Mahoney
29. Autumn Davey
30. Mercadi Carlson
31. Sylvan Christensen
What winning looks like in the creator‑athlete era
The future of sports marketing belongs to athletes who bring both sides of the equation: performance that earns respect and storytelling that earns attention. Brands that embrace this shift will build deeper loyalty and more durable growth than those still relying on old playbooks.
Every corner of the outdoor world is filled with athletes who do the thing and share it too, climbers included. This series is all about spotlighting them. For brands ready to activate creators who actually move people, this is your sign to gear up and roll with us.
Check out the first six volumes:
