A physical therapist by profession, Erin Curtis has faced personal battles with self-acceptance and mental health, turning her struggles into fuel to help others. Erin was part of ROMP's 2024 Cayambe Climb Team. Her experience while participating in this life-changing climbing expedition in Ecuador not only reignited her passion for movement but also solidified her commitment to making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. Erin shared her story with us —one that beautifully illustrates the power of connection, purpose, and the healing nature of adventure:
Climbing for ROMP was not only one the most epic adventure of my life, but it truly set my soul on fire and was one of the most impactful things I’ve ever done. To understand why Climbing for ROMP meant so much to me, I’m going to rewind a bit in my life.
For most of my life, I have dealt with debilitating self-hatred. Despite being a good student and very involved in high school and college, I have always been incredibly self-conscious. I have struggled with eating disorders, anorexia, mental health challenges, and a long period of time where I didn’t even want to be here. I always wanted to be an athlete, but never thought my body was worth much of anything. I was never proud of myself or what my body could do. I am also a physical therapist, so I know, medically, the power of movement as medicine. For some reason, I just never connected that to myself. I never thought I deserved it.
A few years ago, I signed up for the Chicago Marathon because I wanted to try things that scared me. Through that, I found a coach who is an elite triathlete (and now a dear friend) - and he was the first person in my whole life who told me that my body, the thing I hated most in the world, could do hard things. That I was an athlete. That I was worth something. I started training in 2020 and felt like movement was bringing up so many old wounds. But this time, movement was healing so much of my trauma and negative narratives in my brain. Mobility became my best friend and my therapist- not something I needed to do to punish my body for not being "skinny" enough. I completed the Chicago Marathon in 2021, but didn’t stop there. I had a big goal of completing an Ironman triathlon. I’m so proud to say that I crossed the finish line of my first Ironman on September 8, 2024 – just a few weeks before I left for Ecuador. It was INCREDIBLE. I never imagined a time in my life where I would actually like myself. I was so used to hating my body, I didn't know any different and that was my normal. My relationship with my body and my own mental health will be something that I struggle with and work on throughout my life. But now, I can look in the mirror and see what I CAN do, not what I can’t. Mobility and movement did that for me. While I am not a member of the limb loss community, mobility and the chance to move has saved and transformed my life.
In July, I was offered the opportunity to be part of the 10th annual Climbing for ROMP team. I was THRILLED! It felt like this was the chance for me to bring everything together – my work as a PT, my incredible journey to Ironman, my love for trying to do hard things, and the opportunity to give others the chance to access the life transforming power of mobility. I knew this experience was going to be pretty big, but I didn’t expect to be so moved, so quickly. The first day in Ecuador, I sat there listening to the stories and journeys of the rest of the climb team and I was in awe (and in tears). It sounds cliché, but we really did go from strangers to family almost immediately. I still cannot believe I was included in a group filled with true mountaineers, pro athletes, and paralympians. I’m no pro athlete. I’m a middle-of-the-pack age grouper with very little natural athletic ability, but I work SO hard and truly enjoy the journey of pushing my body and my mind to find its limit – then pushing beyond that. I initially struggled to think that I belonged with such an incredible and accomplished group, but I did! The connections I made were instant and deep. It felt like we all understood each other on a core level and ROMP made me feel like I belonged. The whole experience was so special.
Then there was the climbing part (a.k.a. THE MOST EPIC ADVENTURE OF MY LIFE)! I felt like a little kid seeing Disney World for the first time; that experience repeated itself every day, with every new adventure. First, on our training climb to Pasochoa where we were hit with a flash flood and hail for the last two miles and absolutely soaked to the bone. Then, the Cayambe team arrived at Hosteria San Luis and we were in awe of her beauty. We had so much fun playing on and exploring the grounds. The next day was the first time we set eyes on Cayambe. Her peak snuck over the clouds at sunrise. Soon, we were going to be there! The travel to get to the refuge was its own adventure, and SO MUCH FUN. The refuge provided the most beautiful time to disconnect from technology and just enjoy the company of the incredible humans I was surrounded by. The small moments – making coffee, learning an Australian line dance, hearing words of wisdom from past climbers – will live with me forever. You could feel the anxious excitement in the room when we woke up for the night of our summit push. However, dangerous weather conditions prevented us from leaving on time, likely meaning that we wouldn’t summit. I was initially bummed, but that feeling quickly dissipated. As a team, we went outside to feel the howling wind and snow. Once again, I was in awe of everything – the volcano, my team, this opportunity, the power of mobility. I was SO excited when we finally started our climb at 4am. No one could wipe the smile off of my face. I loved EVERY second of my time on Cayambe. I was so excited to put on crampons for the first time, to be on a rope team for the first time, to climb up the rocks and trudge over the snow. There was never a time where I wanted to quit or turn back - I would have kept going for hours and hours longer if I could. Our team had the most epic snowball fight when we reached our summit near 17,000 feet (avalanche conditions prevented us from going further). It is a core memory burned into my soul forever!
I have a very vivid memory of one moment on Cayambe - the sun was just rising and we were climbing through the snow. I looked at the beauty surrounding me, both the people and the scenery, and thought to myself “This is it. This is the life I want.” In that moment, I knew I had found my soul’s purpose, that I wanted to keep pursuing hard things in order to better the world. I want to live a big, adventurous life to make a big, beautiful difference. Before climbing for ROMP, I've never raised more than $1,500 for a cause. This time, I was able to raise over $10,000 for ROMP! I think that is because of how personal their mission feels to me. It's easy to fundraise when you get to use your passion as a motivator. Ecuador, Cayambe, the mountains, and ROMP will forever have a part of my heart and I'm so grateful for this experience. It truly lit my soul on fire. ROMP has not seen the last of me, and likely never will.
