Hello
I’m Willy! I’m a climber, a setter, a coach, a scientist, and an idealist. I was born and raised in Korea but moved to Florida when I was 16. Eventually, I moved to Colorado to fully immerse myself in this industry.
I like to make, climb, and learn new things. Some of my role models are Richard Feynman, Paul Erdős, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Desmond Doss, and Bernie Sanders.
I am nothing without my convictions.
Theoretical Climbing Manifesto
Why did you start a product company and not a gym?
I believe that a product company is more flexible and able to reach a wider audience than a gym. Also, it’s what I can do at the moment. The vision is to grow this company to be a powerful advocate for all the powerless in the community regardless of the type of business.
The main problem in our industry isn’t about the lack of great setters or great coaches. On the contrary, I believe the sport brings us some of the most psyched, smartest, and most compassionate people on this planet! The problem is that they are rarely well-supported to grow within our industry. I believe a product company can more easily support these awesome individuals no matter what gym they call home.
Why the name Theoretical Climbing?
I’ve always been fascinated to understand the underlying principles of things. Even when it doesn’t have any practical applications in real life. I’m a firm believer that basic research plays a crucial role in human progress. Research is where I find most fun and meaning even when I’ve hit a hard wall and I’m banging my head against the wall day after day.
Fun fact, the rectangle in our logo is called Q.E.D., and it’s used to mark the end of a mathematical proof.
