Tommy Caldwell started climbing soon after he learned to walk. Growing up with a mountain guide father, his talent and passion led him as a teenager to the top of climbing competitions and cutting-edge outdoor routes. In 2000, on a climbing expedition in Kyrgyzstan, Tommy and his climbing partners were captured and held hostage by armed rebels. Miraculously, after six days of captivity, the group managed to free themselves. Upon returning to the United States and trying to piece together his life, Tommy severed his index finger in a home remodeling accident. Managing to overcome the obstacles life was throwing at him, Tommy came back stronger and raised his already elite skill level and the sport’s standards. His subsequent free climbing accomplishments in Yosemite National Park remain unmatched and made Tommy one of the best rock climbers in the world, a perfect contender to be the first person to free climb The Dawn Wall.

Tommy is also the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, The Push: A Climber’s Search for the Path, now available in paperback from Penguin Books.