pull-up bar

When it comes to fear of heights, Maddi Haferling was born with the opposite gene — loving heights.

The Woodbridge High senior started climbing a door at home at age 4 trying to reach a pull-up bar. By 10, she was signed up for a climbing academy. At 17, she won a gold medal in speed climbing last week at the USU19 National Championship in Salt Lake City.

On Thursday, she leaves for Arco, Italy, to compete at the Youth World Championships.

“It’s pretty cool,” she said.

At 5 feet tall, her challenge is climbing a standardized 15-meter wall course and finishing with the fastest time going against an opponent climbing an identical course. She’s attached to a safety rope in case there’s a fall.

Maddi Haferling of Woodbridge won a gold medal in speed climbing.

(Haferling family)

Being a climber, I have a lot of strength that oust don’t have,” Haferling said. “I can do 25 pull-ups that can impress you.”

So what happens if a Woodbridge football player challenges her to a pull-up contest?

“I think they know they’d lose,” she said.

She trains five days a week, three hours a day at a Santa Ana climbing facility lifting weights and practicing speed climbing techniques with other team members.

“It’s nice I can push myself in a sport and commit to something,” she said. “Being on a team is amazing.”