Solenne Piret is on her way to Paralympic glory

Inspiring. That's the first word that springs to mind when you meet Solenne Piret. The 30-year-old professional climber from the Paris region specializes in bouldering, but also excels in outdoor climbing. This athlete, who is one of the best in her discipline, is a member of the Parisian club, Le 8 Assure. She was born with amelia, meaning she was born without a right forearm.

Solenne started climbing at a very young age, alongside her parents and siblings. Every week, they met up at one of the most popular climbing spots around Paris: Fontainebleau. An open-air playground where everyone can take up bouldering and climbing. At this point though, it wasn't yet her vocation, more a pastime.

Solenne then went on to study architecture at Strasbourg's INSA (Institut national des sciences appliquées), having graduated, she returned to Paris. It was during an outing with friends to Arkose Nation, the capital's first indoor climbing gym, that Solenne fell back in love with the sport. "It was climbing that chose me…"

It was during his numerous training sessions at Arkose Paris that Solenne met Julien Gasc, runner-up in 2016 in the AL2 category (leg amputee), and one of the pillars of the team of France. He compares her to Maureen Beck, an American climber with the same disability. “It clicked in my head. Because it created a model for me, an example and a goal. It was my starting point towards competition", he explained.

Solenne quickly became one of the best Frenchwomen in her discipline. This marked the start of a meteoric rise: she took part in the paraclimbing World Cups and came second in Briançon in 2018, then earned a place on the podium in Innsbruck and Los Angeles in 2021 in the AU2 category (category for athletes with forearm, hand or finger amputations). Shortly afterwards, she won her third consecutive world title in Moscow.

In 2022, Solenne became French para-climbing champion in the RP3 category (mobility limitation, power and stability). A feat she repeated in March 2023. Last summer, Solenne will took part in the World Championships in Bern, Switzerland, from August 1 to 12, followed by three World Cup stages in the USA, Austria and Switzerland. A new milestone in her Paralympic ascent.

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