Rock climbing program offers rehab for people with physical challenges

In November, 2022, 19-year-old Téa Crescenzi suffered a heart attack that led to a catastrophic ischemic brain injury, which occurs when the brain doesn’t receive the oxygen it needs. She then fell into a coma for one month, and upon waking, found herself completely immobile with severely impaired vision.

After leaving the hospital in a wheelchair, Ms. Crescenzi began outpatient physiotherapy at Southlake Health in Newmarket, Ont., where she met Emily Williams, a 26-year-old stroke survivor who was on a similar recovery path. When Ms. Williams mentioned she had started going to Reach, a climbing gym in the nearby town of Aurora, Ms. Crescenzi decided to try it out as well.