This Rock Climbing Kid Has a Hidden Strength: His Super Mom | Short Film Showcase

The skill of just being disciplined, being able to stay on track and just fight, and even take a few knocks and get back up, and just keep, you know, on that path or whatever you choose in life, that's a skill I think that'll be with him forever. I think that discipline, to me, means being able to work hard at something that you strive to achieve and staying focused on that goal and never letting it go, no matter what. You should always have that ambition and that drive to do the thing you love to do.

Ever since I was a little kid, I really liked climbing. I used to climb everything from fly poles to, before I could walk, I used to climb baby gates. Eventually, I moved to basketball goals. I was gonna climb regardless, and someone just introduced me to rock climbing, and it was almost like love at first sight. I was hooked the first time I ever walked into a gym.

My mother has no interest in climbing. My mother grew up in the area where climbing wasn't even an option. No one even knew climbing rock on it was a sport. The fact that I got into it, I guess it's kind of unique because not many people get to it the way I did.

My name is Kai Lightner, and I am 14 years old. I have no idea what got him so hooked on competition climbing. I think of him competing forever. I competed at my first Nationals in 2007. I won the Pan-American Championships in Ecuador in bouldering and sport climbing in 2010, and I won first ICS National Championships. So far off, it was four years in a row. I recently placed fourth at the World Championship in my first time going, which is a huge accomplishment. I've won anything you can win in America.

You know, you wake up and brush your teeth. I wake up, do a workout, brush my teeth, go to school, come home, do homework, and then go to the climbing gym. That's my day, and that's what I do. It's like who I am. Usually, I don't have time to hang out with my friends after school. I come home personal, I think. I have work; I have to take care of basics at home. Then there's climbing.

I'm a single mom. I think education is very important; it's probably the most important thing I do at the moment. Plus, it's the only reason that my mother lets me climb. Basically, our deal has always been, "As long as you continue to bring home the grades, I'll give you my time, I'll give you my money, and I'll figure out how to work everything out." He's been holding up his end of the bargain.

So, now, collaborative traveling, you're always on the go. At the end of the day, it's sorted. There's not much climbing in Fayetteville. He loves the people, loves the environment, but it's not the same as the competition walls or even the competition-type routes that he needs. Any clients are compensated and work with what I have so that I can improve. The Triangle Rock Club is about an hour and a half away, and so we end up going there once a week.

I know what you want, and I know what you want—what you want to win. Practice is over. What? What are the stakes? Yeah, yeah, that's what I think. Yeah, we're going to the New River Gorge to do some awesome climbing!

He just discovered the outdoor climbing actually gives him a different thrill. Also, some of his more recent accomplishments that he's more excited about are climbing outside. He's not so concerned with the grade; he just likes to push himself. So I finally got out in 2002. It's just really awesome.

In 2011, I went out once, and I got my first 13a, which was Snicker, and it was really exciting for me. This year, it was the first year I got to go outside more than once a year. I've done four 14 days and a 14B and a 14C.

The main differences are a completely different terrain. Rather than just climbing, you have to deal with the atmosphere, the weather, the bugs, and the terrain and what you're climbing in. So you actually pay attention to your surroundings more and make sure the conditions are right. Whereas indoors, you can go any day, and it doesn't matter; everything's going to be the same. So, that's kind of a different thing to get used to. It didn't take long because, to me, climbing is climbing, no matter where it is—whether it's outside or inside.

My mom's awesome. I mean, the fact that she could support me during my rock climbing, even when she doesn't like the outdoors or bugs or trees or any of those things, and she decides to climb and blame me outside just shows that she had the dedication. She's just very motivating, and she helps push me to be the best that I could be.

No matter what you choose to do in life, there are going to be obstacles. With climbing, if you set your goals high enough, there is no way you're gonna walk through the door and just immediately reach those goals. So it's almost like, just through the nature of the sport itself, you have to be disciplined. I think that definitely makes climbing an essential piece of life—that's so much bigger than the competition or a podium or a medal.

There have always been two very prominent figures, and those figures are my coaches, and my tailor, and Shea Messer. They are the reason I'm here today. Being served in the spotlight, I would say, has really helped me to grow up as an adult and helped me to be a young professional. But I mean, when I get away from the cameras, I'm a kid; like, I'm a goofball.

I get an amazing feeling from telling me that I don't give in to. I really support. I get kind of that feeling of euphoria when I complete a goal that I have worked on, whether it's an outside route or it's a competition inside that I really want to win. That's what I really like about climbing.