Student Spotlight: Lucian DiSanto

Ask USA Climbing gold medalist Lucian DiSanto a question about the sport of rock climbing, and the fourth-grader has got the answer, often supported by percentages and statistics.

For example - how do you practice for a rock climbing competition?

“What makes you a better climber is your grip and the way you get up the wall and also where you put your feet,” said Lucian, who attends Colonial Elementary School. “Sixty percent of climbing is having your feet in the right place.”

But it’s also about the mental skills needed to evaluate the best route to conquer a wall.

“(Rock climbing) is very mental. Eighty percent of it is mental and 20 percent of it is physical,” he said.

Clearly Lucian’s brain has been serving him well in a sport that he started when he was in second grade. This year, he made it through several qualifying events to compete at the Youth Region 82 competition for USA Climbing, held on Jan. 13 in Newark, NJ. He finished first in the contest for his age bracket (children under 11) after competing against young people from eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and northwestern New York.

“Going into a competition, you never know what the climbs will be,” he said. “I was really nervous. I hardly talked to anyone and I was pretty miserable (before I got there).” 

But once he was at the gym and began preparing, he settled in and took a look at “the climbs” to determine his plan of attack. Lucian participates in bouldering, which is one of the three main categories for competitive climbers. Climbers must tackle short, challenging routes on walls without ropes. Lucian said the walls are usually about 12 feet tall, and climbers must get up the wall within a set time limit to gain points. Climbers can make as many attempts as they like within the time limit. 

“Every time you climb, you should take a look for at least 30 seconds, but some people look at it longer,” he said.

What he looks for are the types of holds on the wall. A jug hold is one of the easiest to grip, since it is hollowed out on the inside and is like holding a bar, he said. Others prefer the crimp, which is a hold that leaves just enough space for the tips of one’s fingers. Yet another type of hold is the pocket, which has a hole in the middle for a climber’s finger or fingers. 

Lucian was able to “flash” on several of the climbs in the regional competition, which means he got to the top (or “sent”) without falling on his first attempts. He described the atmosphere of a climbing competition as “chaos,” since at any given time, climbers can hear the audience shouting out names or loudly gasping or groaning, depending on what is happening with various climbers.

“When you're on the top of a wall and you hear your name being shouted, it’s like ‘whoa!’” he said.

In just two short years, Lucian has come a long way, and perhaps that’s because he has always done it. He described climbing trees (and even doorways) in his home when he was a toddler, long before he even knew about the competitive sport.

“Climbing is just sort of in my nature,” he said. 

He got hooked after a visit to an indoor gym during winter break two years ago, when snow kept him indoors. He enjoyed it so much that he decided to sign up for classes, and about a year ago, he joined a team through the Bridgeport-based REACH gym. He named two reasons why he loves the sport.

“Part of it is the challenge, another part of it is it helps me get used to heights,” he said. 

Colonial Elementary School Physical Education teacher Nicole Carbo has witnessed Lucian's athletic prowess in class, and said his mental toughness goes way beyond his age.

"Lucian doesn't make excuses, he goes to work!" she said. "You can see the determination in his eyes and he doesn't stop until he does his best."

He is also encouraging toward his classmates and demonstrates sportsmanship.

"Not only is Lucian a great athlete, he's a great classmate, too," she said.

Ms. Carbo noted that Lucian holds two school physical fitness records - 25 pull-ups and a 10:03 bar hang. Lucian said these are some of the things he does to maintain his arm and finger strength. He also works hard on figuring out the best placement for his feet. 

“The biggest challenge I have is with footwork,” he said, adding that he has to be very conscious of putting his foot on the right part of the hold and maintaining control.

Sometimes, he doesn’t always get it right. Falling is just part of the sport, and although he doesn’t love the way it feels when he lands on the mat if he loses his grip or his footing, he said the part in the air is not too bad.

“It feels pretty good when you’re falling,” he said with a smile.