We’re passionate about making sure that our team represents the people and communities we’re working with.
With diverse voices driving our decision-making process and guiding our work, our team has a range of perspectives whilst all sharing a vision for change.
Meet Our Team
Rachel Briggs (she/her)
With over 20 years’ climbing experience and 8 years working within the industry, climbing has had a hugely positive impact on Rachel’s life.
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Perhaps the most significant impact has been its healing powers and benefits to her mental health. This is why she is so passionate about sharing climbing, through her work with children and women and now through United We Climb.
Lydia Lino
Social Media Officer
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Lydia has been hiking for over four years, spanning from the rolling hills and peaks of the UK to wanderlust destinations like the Andes, Kilimanjaro and the Himalayas. Since stumbling into the great outdoors during the pandemic, her journey has changed her life. Driven by a strong passion for exploration and a shifted perception of what nature has to offer and its mental health benefits, Lydia is committed to inspiring others to embrace and celebrate diversity in adventure
Dr Yasmin Lazarus (she/her)
Yasmin is a paraclimber from London. She started climbing in 2014.
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In the time elapsed since then (particularly during the forced break from climbing due to Lockdown) has experienced many health-related set-backs, eventually resulting in a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. Yasmin began to notice that, as a plus-sized paraclimber, she was somewhat of an anomaly in climbing centres and outdoor spaces, despite the potential of these environments to be so beneficial for people similar to herself, and the evident positive impact that it has had on both her physical and mental health. Her passion therefore grew to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the climbing community, and she integrates the knowledge garnered from her training and work as a Psychologist whilst doing so.
Marie Uri (she/her)
Marie Uri is a director at United We Climb (UWC). Her work at UWC focus on community engagement, supporting various groups within and outside the organisation to diversify the climbing field. Although all her projects are unpaid and voluntary, they are fuelled by her deep passion for climbing and her unwavering commitment to fostering inclusivity.
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Marie is a member of a mountaineering club in London and recognised a need for greater representation in the climbing community. As a strategic partner of Arc’teryx, she works to dismantle barriers in climbing and outdoor activities. She participated in the pilot program "Opening up the Outdoors" (OUTO), which equipped her with skills to develop the Community Interest Company (CIC), where she serves as a director. A grant from this program allowed her to introduce ten individuals to climbing, with one participant completing a comprehensive course for their job and another learning to lead climbs.
One of Marie's notable projects was organizing a trip to Fontainebleau, enabling eight diverse women to attend the Women Bouldering Festival in 2023. This initiative was supported by the Women Bouldering Festival and Arc’teryx. She organised a trip to the Peak district in partnership with Opening Up The Outdoors (OUTO).Collaborated with Arc’teryx to take up to 30 people on a day trip to the Peak District.
Marie actively collaborates with climbing walls, fostering relationships, and engaging in discussions about barriers, systemic racism, and stereotyping. Her advocacy extends to various platforms: she has been featured in podcasts, articles by Redbull and Beta magazine, and has participated in several speaking engagements. These include the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) Women in Adventure talk, the BMC campaign "The Outdoors is for Everyone," the BMC Film Festival, the Women in Adventure segment at Kendal Mountain Festival (KMF) in 2022 and 2023, OUTO open talks, and the Association of British Climbing Walls (ABC) conference. She has also hosted and delivered talks at the Arc’teryx shop in Lond
Marie is dedicated to supporting all her communities, including paraclimbers, Muslims, women of colour, and any underrepresented groups in need of support and guidance.
She is currently training to become a Rock Climbing instructor.
Meet Our Ambassadors
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Molly Thompson-Smith (she/her)
Molly started climbing at the age 7.
By the time she was 12 she was in the GB youth climbing team. With titles such as a 3rd place in the Lead World Cup, she has achieved incredible things in climbing and continues to do so. Molly says “I want to help create a safe space within climbing for people of colour to feel accepted and comfortably in.”
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Jinalee De Silva
Jinalee was introduced to climbing at university and has been climbing ever since! Originally from Sri Lanka Jinalee says “It is uncommon to see young women like myself reflected in the climbing community, both at the crag and indoor walls. We are often influenced by the people and stories that surround us and they can be a measure of who we are but more importantly who we tell ourselves we can be. I am determined to be an advocate for lesser-heard voices and promote diversity in the climbing world. I am stoked to be apart of the United We Climb team!”