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OFF ROUTE: Katie Jo

Even for a woman like Katie Jo Myers, who now spends most of her time dangling from cliffs by her fingertips, leaping from ledges hundreds of feet high, and either racing or cruising in a sailboat that houses everything she owns, the beaten path can be alluring.

So, when Katie arrived in L.A. nearly a decade ago, she dove head first into post, post-graduate convention. She secured a full-time job with great benefits and joined the hustling city grind.

But, within a month, life for Katie had lost all purpose. And, in less than a year, it became hard for her to keep her car from driving off the bridge. She was miserable. And, she wasn’t quite sure why. She’d exceeded all expectations – completed her master’s degree (overseas no less); lived in one of the greatest cities in the country; and had a job that most recent graduates floating around L.A. would kill for. Nonetheless, she felt like she was suffocating.

“And then I discovered the climbing gym,” she said. Within a couple of visits, Katie knew that she’d found her people. She and climbers she met over time spent weekends at Bishop, Yosemite, and Red Rock, where Katie finally fell in love with where she’d landed.

“The outdoors was my safe place growing up,” she said.

And, climbing became that for her, as well. Katie’s love of the sport became a priority, and her prowess quickly reflected this. After six years in L.A., she was faced with the opportunity to successfully detach, almost completely, from a mainstream lifestyle in order to live a life dedicated to what she loved – climbing and being outdoors – and, she jumped on it.

So, she bought a sailboat (never having sailed before), converted the trunk of her car into a bed, and now lives her life exactly as her passions intend for her to – free to roam.

“We watch these stories on television about other people living their lives to the fullest,” Katie said. “But, what about our own lives?  What about creating and living our own stories? I feel like that’s our task here.”

Director/DP: Gary Breece, Additional Photography: Bobby Sorich, Editor: Bradley Hoegl, Music: Jon Luc Hefferman

Project categories: Featured Videos, Off Route

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