August 18, 2013, Central Saanich, BC - German climber Sebastian Halenke shows the wear and tear on his hands after just two days of competition at the 2013 World Youth Climbing Chamionships at the Boulders Climbing Gym in Central Saanich.

WHY I CHOSE THIS PHOTO: Having only been introduced to the sport of climbing in March of 2013, I never truly appreciated the rigours of the sport and the challenges the climbers face until seeing the hand of Halenke, clearly missing some skin from his thumb and fingertips that was left up on the wall after his second climb in the competition. Despite the discomfort, Halenke went on to capture the Silver medal in his age division. The photo I hope, provides some insight into one of the many physical challenges the athletes face in competition, and one that would not be immediately obvious to the casual observer of the sport.