Siblings conquer the Finch rock wall
One more step, Taylor Peruski thought. One more step until she'll reach the top. Foot lifted, she attempted to find the next block only to fall when it wasn't there.
The Ubly 10-year-old didn't give up. Despite a slight fear of heights, she continued to try to get to the top of the wall to ring the bell.
Peruski's determined climb was part of open climb at Finch Fieldhouse to celebrate Siblings Weekend.
"It was really fun," she said. "I kept coming down because I was scared I'd fall because I felt like there were no options to go when I got up to the green part of the wall. I got higher every time I tried."
The event took place from 6-8 p.m. on Friday and 7-10 p.m. on Saturday. Within the first hour of Saturday's climb, more than 125 siblings took to the wall in Finch Fieldhouse.
Adventure Seminars intern and Ionia junior Jarrod Blundy pulled the ropes that allowed climbers to safely navigate the climbing wall. Siblings supporting each other in the climb is what he assumed would inspire the most bonding.
"People get to climb next to each other, so they get to help each other and push each other until they get to the top," Blundy said.
Freeland 13-year-old Ethan Lopshire's version of bonding wasn't by helping his sister, Freeland senior Amanda Slezsak, but beat her in multiple races, which he succeeded at doing three times.
"I rang the bell on three of the walls. I've climbed before," Lopshire said. "Toward the top it got harder where there's not as many rocks and there's not as much grip."
Slezsak worked through her fear of heights more than once to spend the quality time with her brother, attending the open climb both Friday and Saturday night.
"I liked and disliked it because I realized I didn't know I had a fear until I got higher, but I trooped through it because we were racing," she said.
