On Saturday, May 17th, One Summit hosted its third Climb for Courage (CFC) program of the year, bringing us back home to Boston. We welcomed 20 Little Warriors, 13 Navy SEAL Mentors, and 6 Team Leaders and Volunteers for a powerful day of strength, smiles, and soaring spirits. We concluded our spring season of CFC programs with a wonderful weekend in our local community. Leading this Boston climb was our passionate and dedicated East Coast Liaison and mentor, Aaron, who joined us from Virginia Beach and brought his energy and deep commitment up the coast to ensure our Little Warriors and mentors had an unforgettable experience. And they sure did.
After each Little Warrior met their Navy SEAL mentor during the opening matching ceremony, each team got to work coming up with their team's name. As usual, the names were fun, creative, and catchy! At this CFC, our teams were Team Squish, the Purple Cheetahs, the Climbing Navy Unicorns, and Tay Tay's Wolf Pack (can you tell the team members are fans of Taylor Swift?)! Once the team names had been chosen, each Little Warrior worked with their mentor to set goals for the day, goals which were clearly inspired by their eagerness to try the exciting climbing routes they saw around them:
- "Climb the dino climb!"
- "Climb the yellow wall."
- "Climb halfway up the wall."
- "Climb the blue wall."
- "Have fun!"
- "Climb the light-up wall and give my brother encouragement."
From there, the climbing soon began, and over the next several hours, the day was filled with a mix of emotions—laughter, determination, triumph, and even a few tears of joy. The mentors and Little Warriors formed new friendships and made lasting bonds.
Before each Climb for Courage program, we ask the Little Warriors to tell us what they think a Navy SEAL is. In answer to that question, we wanted to share some of the responses we got from this Boston program's participants:
- "People that save our world."
- "People trained vigorously to defend our country."
- "A really skilled person in the Navy."
- "Brave soldiers."
- "People who save people."
- "They protect us."
- "They are friends that stay together and help each other."
- "People who work together, stand together, and do hard missions."
- "A soldier who is really cool."
It was clear that our Little Warriors and families had indeed found cool new friends who are skilled, brave, and stand together. We are always so honored that they stand together with all of us here at One Summit. Our Navy SEAL mentor team at this CFC—13 strong, experienced, and compassionate individuals—shared their time and stories with each child, reinforcing the belief that strength is found not only in physical feats but also in community, support, and perseverance. These bonds don't end with the last climb—they continue long after the ropes are packed away.
The feedback we receive from families, mentors, and volunteers immediately after the climb illustrates the impact of our mission. The testimonials below fortify our commitment to enhancing outcomes for our resilient Little Warriors through year-round support and dedication to serving the Boston area.
Testimonials
[I feel] safe and excited.
Little Warrior
[My most memorable moment of the day was] seeing how excited my mentees were to show their parents how confident they were climbing.
Navy SEAL Mentor
Everything was really wonderful, and we are so appreciative that One Summit includes bereaved families.
Parent
This event is good for everyone involved. The mutual benefit is incredible.
Navy SEAL Mentor
[Before Climb for Courage] I didn’t want to come. [After Climb for Courage] I love the gym and would easily come back.
Little Warrior
[Climb for Courage is] a great way to give back to a community while building relationships within the SEAL community.
Navy SEAL Mentor
I loved that my [mentor] was super nice, and he encouraged me to help me learn and he let me beat him in a race!
Little Warrior
[My kids’ mentors] were amazing and really made my boys feel connected to them. [The One Summit staff] and all the other leaders were amazing and made my family feel so special and part of a community that understands us. I personally crave a community that understands the battle we are in and have been in and comforts, listens and become friends with the community that cares for us. I am so thankful for including us in the great day. Thank you so much.
Parent
[Before Climb for Courage I was] a little nervous. I’m so happy I came!
Little Warrior
Please continue to run this program, we had so much fun!
Parent
[Climb for Courage is] fulfilling; the possibility to change a kids life is huge.
Navy SEAL Mentor
[My kids] were so excited and felt really supported and encouraged which I think made them feel so confident.
Parent
[After Climb for Courage] I feel surprised—I got up two courses that were really hard.
Little Warrior
It is a powerful opportunity to serve a community that absolutely deserves our time. Climb for Courage can be such a humbling and inspiring experience.
Navy SEAL Mentor
My kids LOVED it! You met them where they were at and supported them the whole way to give them the confidence to climb without parents being there. It was a big deal for my boys to be left without me.
Parent
I can improve every day. Try your best and never give up!
Little Warrior
The best part of the day was the transformation from the first greeting where [the kids] were nervous to when they couldn’t stop running around and wanting to do activities.
Navy SEAL Mentor
The girls came home with huge smiles on their faces. They felt proud about how hard they worked at climbing. Thank you for the experience!
Parent
[My most memorable moment of the day was] seeing one of the children overcome his fears of being separated from his parent. Once he was able to muster the courage, he embraced his mentor and had the best time!
Team Leader
[Before I felt] a bit scared. [Now I feel] Great! Trusting!
Little Warrior
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Perhaps the most moving words came from one of our parents, whose children participated in the climb. (Full letter to be shared below.)
These powerful words shared with our team reinforce our commitment to our mission and highlight the impact our programs have on those we serve. We are grateful for the families who trust our team and our mentors with their children. As usual, we as adults sometimes feel that we get more out of this experience than even the kids do.
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On Sunday morning, we returned to the gym to host Climb Higher (CH), our alum program that continues to grow in the Boston area. At our CH program, we invite past Climb for Courage participants to return and participate in another round of rock-climbing action alongside some of our Navy SEAL mentors. We excitedly welcomed back 16 Little Warriors and six mentors who spent the morning hitting the rock walls with gusto! It was a terrific turnout and an excellent way to end our Climb for Courage weekend.
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To every donor, volunteer, mentor, and supporter, thank you. You've helped create more than just a climbing event—you've built a foundation of courage that will carry these children and families through their toughest battles. Climb for Courage Boston Spring 2025 was more than a success—it was a celebration of resilience, the power of mentorship, and the strength found in every Little Warrior.
We're deeply grateful to our generous sponsor and donors who helped make the day possible:
• Golf Fights Cancer, whose impact continues to reach new heights
• DCU for Kids, for their steadfast support over the past four years, helping our programs grow and thrive.
• Agnes M. Lindsay Trust, for generously funding four Climb for Courage programs and consistently championing our mission.
• Joseph & Anna C. Dias Jr. Family Foundation, for enabling our continued impact in the Boston community through their support.
• Peckham Industries, for providing critical funding that sustains and strengthens our programs.
• Central Rock Gym, for providing a world-class space and unwavering support
• Grill 23 & Bar, for your unmatched service and continued support of our Navy SEAL community
• Chick-fil-A, for keeping everyone fueled with smiles and sandwiches
• Kendra Scott's Kendra Cares Program, for once again bringing the sparkly spirit of giving to our participants.
• Pass the Bricks, for bringing creativity and connection through building and imagination
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We'd also like to give a huge shoutout to Nick Heath, the President of our Boston Young Professionals Board, for lending his terrific photography skills to Climb for Courage. We truly appreciate your keen eye and your dedication to capturing the many incredible moments throughout the day.
We also want to express our gratitude and appreciation to the staff of our local hospitals for sharing our Climb for Courage program with patients and families in the clinics and on their units. For this Climb for Courage program, we would like to extend our special thanks to our friends at the Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber and Massachusetts General Hospital for distributing our flyers and helping to get families excited about attending. We really could not run our programs to the extent that we do or reach as many families without your assistance. Thank you doesn't begin to cover it. We also want to thank our alum families for sharing information about our program opportunities with other families in their networks, which enables us to continue growing our community of like-minded warriors in the New England area. Your recruitment help is invaluable to our team.
We are excited to be returning to Boston to host another Climb for Courage and Climb Higher weekend in the fall! Until then, we'll be thinking back fondly on this one throughout the summer ahead.
Are you interested in participating in an upcoming Climb for Courage? Please apply on our website or email maxwell@onesummit.org for more information!
