Craig began climbing at, of all things, a bachelor party right after high school. The climbing bug stuck, and after 8 years, he moved to Colorado to be closer to rocks. In 2002 he was accidentally dropped 100 feet to the talus below, while climbing in Rock y Mountain National Park. The accident left him with a fused Lumbar spine L1 - L4 and a fused neck at C5 - C6 as well as the eventual amputation of his right leg below the knee. He returned to climbing four months after the leg amputation, and began building h imself to be the climber that he was meant to be all along. The injuries required him to learn how to focus his energy, since he only had small window of freedom between bouts of chronic pain, to actually climb. This focus helped him reshape his new "norma l" and to achieve some great firsts in the adaptive climbing world.

Seeing the power that climbing had in his life and recovery, he began to teach adaptive clinics for non - profits where he takes athletes, veterans and anyone who has a physical disability, climbing to show them that they can have a great quality of life after experiencing heavy trauma.

His work takes him all around the globe to climbing areas where he teaches and then climbs with his wife Cyndy. By living the epitome of the climbing lifestyl e, he influences the way others who are in the beginning stages of recovery view their life, which can help them move forward and develop a more positive outlook, despite the mental and physical challenges they may have.

He is married to Cyndy and has two kids, Mayah and Will and still resides in Colorado. 

First amputee to climb El Capitan in under a day
First Nose In A Day (NIAD) by an amputee
Lead the First All Disabled Ascent of El Capitan via Zodiac
2 Time National Paraclimbing Champion
2 Time Bronze Medal Winner at Paraclimbing World Championships
Leads adaptive climbing clinics around the world for veterans and people with physical disabilities

Craig Demartino