Carter Smith, a 21-year-old Watauga County native, is addicted to climbing. He doesn’t like to climb, he has to climb.
“It’s a lack of self control honestly,” Smith said.
If Smith doesn’t climb for a day, he said he is grouchy and not psyched for anything. It also effects his ability to complete his school work, a detriment that an honors college student double majoring in Spanish and recreation management can’t afford.
It’s not uncommon, however, for athletes to become defined by their sport; to begin to plan their lives around their next fix. Smith believes that the length of time a climber will push their bodies is a defining characteristic in determining the fanatics from the addicts, from those who love the sport to those who need it.