Ashima Shiraishi, one of the best rock climbers in the world

A veteran rock climber at just 14 years old — she started scaling boulders at the age of six — New Yorker Ashima Shiraishi is considered to be one of the strongest and most talented climbers on the planet.

The New York Times has called her a Bouldering Phenom. Outside Magazine has described her as a Young Crusher. At age 13 she became the first woman, and youngest (male/female), to climb a sport route with a difficulty grade of 9a+ (5.15a). Very few athletes in the world can climb at this level as both sport climbing grading systems and bouldering grading systems only have two additional, and more difficult, grades that Ashima has not climbed yet.

Above, from Great Big Story: The Best Female Rock Climber In the World is 14 Years Old, and below, another profile vid from The New York Times in 2012:

File under: Practice. Next: Rock climbing prodigy Brooke Raboutou.

h/t @DIY.