Meet Your Mates

President

Melissa Edwards

pronouns: they/them

Melissa is a queer non-binary rock climber, outdoor enthusiast, LGBTQ+ advocate and educator. Melissa is a member of Proud2Play’s Trans Advisory Board and a member of Sport and Recreation Victoria’s Equity and Inclusion Community Consultation Group, and has over seven years experience producing events and programs for community.

Melissa sits on the committee of Climbing Victoria, the representative peak body for rock climbing in Victoria.

Contact: president@climbingqts.com

Secretary

IPEK CAV

pronouns: they/them

Ipek (pronounced ee-pek) is a queer web designer and developer, rock climber, and LGBTQ+ and disability advocate. They’ve been volunteering for the ClimbingQTs since 2019 and serving on the board since 2020.

Contact: secretary@climbingqts.com

Treasurer

Daniel Sue

I took up climbing only a few years ago and have embraced all forms of climbing but especially love trad climbing, and all day adventures on long multipitch routes. I am a former Chartered Accountant with over 10 years experience working in various Finance roles, and have held the Treasury roles at a number of sporting clubs. I’m also an advocate to help more LGBTIQA+ people get involved with sports.

Contact: treasurer@climbingqts.com

Marketing & Social Media

Pia Crawford

pronouns: they/them

Pia is an import from Aotearoa who takes a mutli-disiplinary approach to outdoor adventuring. They love climbing, canyoning, multi-day hikes, kayaking, caving... and want you to love these things too. They believe all these sports are about having fun with your friends and building lifelong memories.

Now based in Eora, they work as an ecologist and volunteer to help with the ClimbingQTs marketing.

Marketing & Social Media

Sam Teo

pronouns: she/them

Sam is a queer ADHDer who discovered bouldering through friends and ClimbingQTs while seeking community. They quickly fell in love with both and how they made them feel safe, supported and *joyful* in themselves and their queer identity. Based in Naarm, she's a marketer volunteering her skills to share the amazing work ClimbingQTs do and to help more QTs find the community that changed her life for the better.

Administrator & TransQTs Coordinator

Jes Layton

pronouns: he/she

Jes invented writing, the airplane, and the internet. She was also the first person to reach the North Pole. Jes is an author, illustrator and performer currently residing on Wurundjeri Land. He is the current Executive Director/co-CEO of the Emerging Writers Festival and is represented by Alex Adsett Literary Agency.

Jes’ work can be found with SBS, Junkee, Voiceworks, Archer and The Big Issue among others. She also has work published with Black Inc, Pantera Press and Affirm Press, while her latest short story will appear in the anthology “An Unexpected Party” coming out in late 2023 (Fremantle Press).

Board Members

Crystal

pronouns: she/her

Crystal is a lover of crimps and slab who has been climbing since 2016. As a queer Latinx low-vision climber, she's particularly passionate about the importance of inclusive spaces and equitable opportunities within the climbing community. Crystal works in film and lives on beautiful Dharug and Gundungurra land.

Sig

pronouns: she/her

Sig is a queer nurse with a passion for inclusive climbing. Since she began climbing just over 2 years ago, she was overwhelmed with the supportiveness of the climbing community. Wishing to contribute to the climbing community, Sig volunteered for ClimbingQT’s as a champ and is now on the board.

Kim

pronouns: they/them

Kim is the resident cheerleader, dog-scratcher, media, marketing & community manager at BlocHaus. In their short time in climbing, they’ve been overwhelmed by the support of the climbing community both on & off the wall — Kim is passionate about making space at the gym and crag for POC & LGBTQ+ folks to delight in all the physical, emotional & social benefits of climbing that have impacted their own life so positively.

Bec

pronouns: she/they

Michael S.

pronouns: he/him

If you can't catch up in a bouldering gym, you are likely to find him with mates bouldering in beautiful Gariwerd/Grampians National Park. One of Mike's most memorable holidays was a 4 week trip to the Rocklands in South Africa - beautiful people, stunning landscape and world-class boulders. When not chalked up and climbing, Mike is an amateur film photographer and works as a litigation lawyer.

EMILY

pronouns: she/they

Em resides in Whadjuk-Noongar land, where she studies rocks for a living. Some persistent convincing from her friends got her climbing rocks for fun as well! She is an avid coffee drinker, muso and will always bring weird snacks to your party.

Aidan

pronouns: he/they

Aidan's Mum will tell you that he climbed before he could walk, and his heart always belonged to the wild. Originally from the UK and now based in Meeanjin, Aidan has been sharing their love of the mountains and acting as a mentor and advocate for equity and inclusion in adventure sports for as long as he can remember. He works in climate risk and resilience, and when not climbing can be found trail running, cycling, or writing.