Our team kicked off our fall program season by heading back to San Diego, where we hosted our fourth Climb for Courage (CFC) program and fourth Climb Higher (CH) program of 2025. We had another wonderful weekend in the company of our Southern California community! On Saturday, September 20th, our Climb for Courage program welcomed 15 kids and 12 Navy SEAL mentors.
Here's a snapshot of our participant group at CFC:
Our incredible group of participants came together and spent the day scaling walls, overcoming obstacles, and forging bonds rooted in strength and trust. The gym filled quickly with laughter, cheers, and powerful moments of courage — a reminder of the impact that comes when children facing cancer are given the tools and encouragement to persevere.
Our team names, as usual, were fantastic. This time, our teams included The Lebrons, Team 2 SEALs, and The Super Magic Dancing Climbers! Each Little Warrior spent time with their mentor, creating their goals for the day ahead. Some of their set goals included:
Throughout the day, our Little Warriors consistently met and often exceeded these goals. As we welcomed parents and caregivers back to the gym to watch their children climb, the One Summit team, as we always do, stood back and watched the many new faces in our San Diego One Summit community smile, laugh, and connect with each other. It's one of the most meaningful moments of the program for us.
The feedback we receive from families, mentors, and volunteers immediately after the climb illustrates the impact of our mission. The testimonials below reinforce our commitment to enhancing outcomes for our resilient Little Warriors through year-round support and dedication to serving the San Diego area.
Testimonials
I'm tired but proud of myself for surpassing my goals.
– Little Warrior
It's an incredible experience that gives tremendous perspective, that these kids are fighting a battle much harder than anything we've done. What it means to have resilience.
– Navy SEAL Mentor
[I learned from my Navy SEAL] that stuff will be challenging, but never give up and keep going.
– Little Warrior
[After Climb for Courage] my children seemed much more confident and closer because they were able to bond over this experience.
– Parent
I learned to never give up, even when things are hard.
– Little Warrior
It's in our nature of service to "give back" to the community, especially to children undergoing extremely difficult medical conditions. Plus, it's fun hanging out with your mentee!
– Navy SEAL Mentor
After doing Climb for Courage, I feel like I have grown more resilient!
– Little Warrior
[Climb for Courage] was a new, pleasant, and exciting experience for my son.
– Parent
[Climb for Courage is] a rewarding way to give back to the community and families that need support using soft skills that are inherent to SEALs.
– Navy SEAL Mentor
I feel happy after doing Climb for Courage because I climbed hard rocks.
– Little Warrior
This was a great way to give back to people going through a challenging time in their life. We have more to offer than we realize at times.
– Navy SEAL Mentor
[After Climb for Courage, I feel] full of energy!
– Little Warrior
This opportunity gave children 2-3 hours where they could just have fun and took their minds off of everything going on. I'd like to think they also learned resilience and goal setting too!
– Navy SEAL Mentor
[My favorite moment of the day was] making it to the top with dad watching!
– Little Warrior
Traditionally hosted on the Sunday morning after Climb for Courage, our Climb Higher (CH) program is designed for children who have already experienced Climb for Courage, giving them the chance to revisit the lessons of resilience and teamwork while strengthening the bonds they've built along the way or forging new ones. Each CH program is a reminder of just how much they are capable of, both on and off the wall, and it's where kids build on the lessons of resilience and teamwork they first discovered. This fall at Climb Higher San Diego, we welcomed back 16 Little Warriors, 6 Navy SEAL mentors, and 3 volunteers. We want to highlight the program itself and the sense of community surrounding it, which continues to grow stronger with every event. Each of our program markets is seeing larger turnouts and deeper engagement as more families experience the lasting impact of these follow-up programs.
Climb Higher has come a long way since it began in 2018 with just three programs per year. Today, we've doubled that to six programs annually across multiple markets, and we've hosted more than 22 Climb Higher programs in total. What's more, participation has grown steadily across the board: just a few years ago, Climb Higher averaged about 10 kids per program, in 2024 we averaged 15 kids per program, and this year that number has climbed even higher to over 17 kids per program. That growth is also reflected year over year. In 2023, 40 kids participated in Climb Higher. In 2024, that number more than doubled to 88. Already in 2025, 71 kids have taken part — with more CH programs still ahead.
But Climb Higher is about more than climbing; it’s about community. With every program, we’re seeing connections strengthen not only among our Little Warriors and Navy SEAL mentors but also among families, volunteers, and alumni who come back to support our OS community. One of our San Diego families, a family of climbers before they participated in Climb for Courage, now consistently volunteers at Climb Higher, stepping in as extra belayers to help more kids get on the wall. Their willingness to give back perfectly captures the ripple effect of these programs — the way courage inspires connection, and connection fuels continued growth. It’s this cycle of support and shared purpose that defines Climb Higher and drives One Summit’s mission forward.
As our organization expands Climb Higher across all of our program markets, weekends like this one in San Diego shine a light on what's possible: stronger kids, stronger communities, and lasting lessons of resilience that go far beyond the climbing wall. The more touchpoints we can create, the more kids and families can experience the lasting impact of resilience, connection, and joy outside of cancer treatment.
We are especially grateful to our Navy SEAL mentors, dedicated volunteers, and the San Diego partners who made this program possible — from the staff at the climbing gym to our generous local supporters. Together, we are climbing higher — and we're just getting started.
We want to thank our incredibly generous sponsors, nonprofit partners, and corporate partners: AXOS Bank, Golf Fights Cancer, Vertical Hold, Kendra Scott, and Pass the Bricks, for making this weekend so special for our OS community.
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Finally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the child life specialists, social workers, nurses, and staff at Rady Children's Hospital for their assistance in spreading the word to families and helping them register. Your partnership ensures that more kids can access these resilience-building programs. To our alum families who continue to share our mission with new families in your networks — thank you for being ambassadors of our work. Your voices help us grow our community of Little Warriors in San Diego and beyond. And of course, thank you to our Navy SEAL mentors, Team Leaders, and volunteers for making this weekend possible. We couldn’t do it without you.
We are looking forward to heading back to San Diego in 2026 for more exciting and inspirational Climb for Courage and Climb Higher experiences!
Are you interested in participating in an upcoming Climb for Courage, or do you know someone who might be interested in joining us? Please apply on our website or email maxwell@onesummit.org for more information!
