Climbing offers numerous health and wellbeing opportunities. Having experienced the physical, mental, emotional, and social benefits of climbing firsthand, our team is passionately dedicated to ensuring that all members of our communities can access its healing power in sustainable ways.
With diverse voices and lived experiences our team has a range of perspectives whilst all sharing a vision for change.
Meet Our Team
Rachel Briggs (she/her) Founder and Director
With over 27 years of climbing experience and 15 years working in the industry, Rachel has worked as a coach, route setter and climbing business owner. Climbing has played a hugely positive role in her life, opening up opportunities, building connections and providing a sense of belonging.
As a neurodivergent woman and survivor of domestic abuse and violence, Rachel has also experienced first-hand how climbing can provide support through trauma and periods of crisis. Her own journey has shown her just how powerful climbing can be in supporting mental health, wellbeing, recovery and personal growth.
These experiences underpin her work with United We Climb and her belief that everyone who could benefit from climbing should have the opportunity to experience its transformative and healing potential.
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Perhaps the most significant impact has been its healing powers and benefits to her mental health. This is why she is so passionate about sharing climbing, through her work with children and women and now through United We Climb.
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Lydia has been hiking for over four years, spanning from the rolling hills and peaks of the UK to wanderlust destinations like the Andes, Kilimanjaro and the Himalayas. Since stumbling into the great outdoors during the pandemic, her journey has changed her life. Driven by a strong passion for exploration and a shifted perception of what nature has to offer and its mental health benefits, Lydia is committed to inspiring others to embrace and celebrate diversity in adventure
Lydia Lino
Social Media Officer
Dr Yasmin Lazarus (she/her)
Yasmin is a paraclimber from London. She started climbing in 2014.
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In the time elapsed since then (particularly during the forced break from climbing due to Lockdown) has experienced many health-related set-backs, eventually resulting in a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. Yasmin began to notice that, as a plus-sized paraclimber, she was somewhat of an anomaly in climbing centres and outdoor spaces, despite the potential of these environments to be so beneficial for people similar to herself, and the evident positive impact that it has had on both her physical and mental health. Her passion therefore grew to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the climbing community, and she integrates the knowledge garnered from her training and work as a Psychologist whilst doing so.
Marie Uri (she/her)
Marie Uri is a director at United We Climb (UWC), where she leads community outreach to make climbing more inclusive and diverse. Her work is entirely voluntary, powered by a deep love for climbing and a strong belief in equity and representation.
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Based in London and a member of the Marylebone Mountaineering Club, Marie is a strategic partner of Arc'teryx, working to dismantle barriers within climbing and outdoor spaces.
She also collaborates with organisations like Opening Up the Outdoors (OUTO) to make climbing more accessible. As Director of United We Climb (UWC), Marie has supported many newcomers in experiencing climbing for the first time—indoors and outdoors—with some progressing all the way to lead climbing.
Marie has organised trips for climbers from underrepresented backgrounds, including a visit to the Women’s Bouldering Festival in Fontainebleau and a Peak District day out with Arc’teryx and OUTO.
She works closely with climbing walls to tackle issues such as access, systemic racism, and stereotyping—and regularly speaks on these topics at events like Kendal Mountain Festival, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), and the ABC conference. Her work has also been featured in Red Bull, Beta Magazine, and various podcasts.
She is the Diversity officer for Women Bouldering Festival based in Fontainebleau and now is part of the Alpine Heart (Switzerland) diversity team.
Marie is passionate about supporting paraclimbers, Muslims, women of colour, and other underrepresented groups—and is currently training to become a certified Rock Climbing Instructor.
Meet Our Ambassadors
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Molly Thompson-Smith (she/her)
Molly started climbing at the age 7.
By the time she was 12 she was in the GB youth climbing team. With titles such as a 3rd place in the Lead World Cup, she has achieved incredible things in climbing and continues to do so. Molly says “I want to help create a safe space within climbing for people of colour to feel accepted and comfortably in.”
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Jinalee De Silva
Jinalee was introduced to climbing at university and has been climbing ever since! Originally from Sri Lanka Jinalee says “It is uncommon to see young women like myself reflected in the climbing community, both at the crag and indoor walls. We are often influenced by the people and stories that surround us and they can be a measure of who we are but more importantly who we tell ourselves we can be. I am determined to be an advocate for lesser-heard voices and promote diversity in the climbing world. I am stoked to be apart of the United We Climb team!”