Salt Lake City, Utah (February 24, 2024) – To make education more accessible for athletes who are training for international competitions, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, USA Climbing and Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) have formed an agreement in which SLCC will become the official community college provider to USA Climbing.

The agreement will waive tuition for USA Climbing National Team athletes for up to 12 consecutive semesters, running through at least the Olympic and Paralympic Games Los Angeles 2028. USA Climbing athletes will have access to a variety of physiological performance assessments through faculty expertise and resources in the college’s Exercise Science program. This partnership mirrors a similar agreement SLCC has had with the US Speedskating team since 2018.

“We are thrilled about the benefits that this partnership will provide to our athletes. In working directly with SLCC’s Exercise Science Department, our climbers will have access to state-of-the-art assessments and analyses to help them perform at the highest level,” said Marc Norman, President and CEO of USA Climbing. “Additionally, SLCC’s scholarships will empower National Team athletes to more easily pursue academic journeys without sacrificing their athletic commitments.”

In addition to the tuition assistance made possible by the partnership, many athletes find that SLCC’s flexible scheduling and extensive online offerings allow them time to train and compete.

“As Utah ramps up to host the Olympics in 2034, Salt Lake Community College wants to do its part to support future Olympic athletes to make it possible for them to pursue an education while also training for the biggest competition of their lives,” said Greg Peterson, President of Salt Lake Community College. “We are incredibly proud to be able to play a role in supporting these elite athletes.”

A number of Olympians have already attended and graduated from SLCC, including Erin Jackson, who earned a gold medal in speedskating at the 2022 Games.

USA Climbing, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, oversaw Sport Climbing’s Olympic debut at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. It was at those Games that Nathaniel Coleman, a Salt Lake City native, became the first US Sport Climber to win a silver medal. In the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Colorado-based Brooke Raboutou took home a silver medal in Boulder and Lead, becoming the first US woman to win an Olympic medal in the sport. Sam Watson, another Salt Lake City local, also won a bronze medal and set a new world record in the Men’s Speed category. In 2028, Para Climbing will make its Paralympic debut at the Paralympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

USA climbing will draw more competitive sport climbing athletes to the area with plans to build a world-class national training center in Salt Lake City, where large-scale competitive climbing events will be held, and resources and elite training spaces will cultivate new potential Olympians and Paralympians as soon as the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

About USA Climbing

USA Climbing is the national governing body for competitive climbing in the United States, supporting athletes, coaches, and events across the country. As a nonprofit organization, USA Climbing’s mission is to promote the growth and development of climbing while advocating for the sport’s values of inclusivity, sportsmanship, and environmental responsibility.

About Salt Lake Community College

Salt Lake Community College is Utah’s largest two-year college, proudly educating the state’s most diverse student body in eight areas of study at eight locations and online. The majority of SLCC graduates transfer to four-year institutions, and thousands more are trained in direct-to-workforce programs. For more than 75 years, SLCC has been providing Utahns with education and training in fields that contribute to the state’s vibrant economy and high quality of life.