Professional Rock Climber Timmy O'Neill Shares his Journey in Adaptive Sports at Trail Creek Outfitters

Professional rock climber and Philadelphia native Timmy O’Neill will speak at Trail Creek Outfitters Friday, October 17th. The evening will start with a Meet and Greet at 6:00 pm followed by a presentation at 7:00 pm. He will be discussing the joys and perils of being a professional climber and how his passion led him to co-found Paradox Sports, a non-profit organization that improves people’s lives by creating physical adaptive sport communities built to inspire. Paradox Sports runs adaptive programs and veteran specific programs in the areas of rock, ice, wilderness, and water. In 2014, the organization introduced the first-ever adaptive climbing curriculum and received a $25,000 grant from The North Face Explore Fund to implement the curriculum.

O’Neill’s countless accomplishments and experiences as a professional athlete have helped him share his passion with people who struggle to access the outdoors. His adaptive sports journey began when he worked with his brother Sean O’Neill to overcome paraplegia to climb. After gaining experience with adaptive climbing, he met Major D.J. Skelton who was working with veterans to use outdoor adventure to heal. The two shared a common goal to create community in adaptive sports and founded Paradox Sports together in 2007. Timmy O’Neill spent the last two years as Executive Director of Paradox Sports and now acts as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He recently won the Outdoor Inspiration Award in recognition of the record participation and fundraising at Paradox Sports during his time as Executive Director.

O’Neill has gone above and beyond his Executive Director duties to support adaptive sports communities. In September, he joined blind athletes Erik Weihenmayer and Lonnie Bedwell on 278 mile-long kayak of the Grand Canyon and will speak about his experience at this event.

“It was a great intellectual joy and physical feat to participate in a blind kayaking expedition,” says O’Neill, “and to realize that while guiding Erik I was paddling for two reputations, in that if I failed to choose the best line and there was a complication not only might he swim, or worse, but I would be to blame. This may not seem like a rational thought, and for that matter, neither does kayaking blind.” To read more about the kayaking adventure, visit kayakingblind.nobarriersnetwork.org.

O’Neill will be screening Prevail at the Oct. 17th event, a six-minute film about his brother Sean’s paraplegic ice climb of the 450-foot Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride, CO in February of this year. Sean O’Neill became a t-12 paraplegic in a 1991 jump from a bridge. The film recently screened at the Adventure Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado.

O’Neill returns home to Philadelphia to share these stories of passion and overcoming adversity with the community surrounding Trail Creek Outfitters. For more event information, contact sarah.mcdonald225@gmail.com.

Paradox Sports

Paradox Sports is a Colorado-based non-profit founded in 2007 by Tim O’Neill and D.J. Skelton to improve people’s lives by creating physical adaptive sport communities built to inspire. Focusing on adaptive trips, a adaptive climbing curriculum, and community building, the organization is breaking down barriers for veterans and people with paraplegia, amputated limbs, and other disabilities to help them climb, mountaineer, and enjoy the outdoors. For more information, visit paradoxsports.org.

Trail Creek Outfitters

Trail Creek Outfitters is a local outdoor clothing and gear store located in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. For 30 years, the business has been carrying top brands and offering excellent customer service to the community around Glen Mills. Find out more at trailcreekoutfitters.com.