KUCHING: At just 15-years old, Valerie Law Hui has been earmarked as Malaysia’s next climbing sensation as she is set to take on the worlds’ best at the IFSC Youth World Championships Helsinki 2025 from July 28 to August 3 in Finland.
The Sarawakian athlete had already made her mark at the national level, securing a podium finish at the National Sports Climbing Boulder Series 1/2025 in Putrajaya on Feb 22-23 – competing against seasoned professionals in the regional event.
“It goes without saying that I am honoured and proud to have been given this opportunity to represent Sarawak and Malaysia on an international stage.
“I believe I was earmarked for this after my achievements, especially being the youngest in the top five at the national selection last December and on the podium at the recent Boulder Series.
“Without a doubt, it will be competitive and challenging as it will be my first international event debut, however, I aspire to secure a spot in the final,” Valerie Law told Sarawak Tribune recently.
The young climber’s journey in the sport began at the age of nine when she stumbled upon a climbing gym in a shopping mall.
“Being someone who is adventurous by nature, I couldn’t help myself to answer the challenge when I saw it – I looked and thought to myself – Wow, that looks interesting,” said the 15-year old.
Intrigued by the challenge, she quickly developed a passion for the sport. Over the years, Valerie Law has pushed herself beyond her limits, opting to compete in the open category against professionals in Singapore and Jakarta for the last few years.
“Even though there are novice and intermediate levels, I chose the open category because I wanted to bring my standards over to a professional level,” the bouldering athlete explains.
With four months to prepare for her international debut, Valerie Law and her coach, Mohammad Azmi Bin Zahari known fondly as Jemi by the community in KlimbZone have crafted a rigorous training programme.
She then shared her intentions to train in West Malaysia – nodding the possibility of heading overseas as she plans to sharpen her skills and expose herself to routes she was not accustomed to.
“Currently I’m only training in one gym in Kuching, and I believe I can expand my skills and prowess in the sport once I expose myself towards different routes with a unique set of complexity to it outside of what I’m used to,” she says.
With a game plan set in motion, the young climber will also answer to any upcoming national-level competitions other than overseas events to gain and build confidence before the big day dawns in July.
The World Youth Championship’s bouldering event will feature three elimination rounds: qualifiers, semi-finals, and a final for the top eight climbers.
Valerie Law was one of five athletes who represented Sarawak at the Putrajaya round, standing out as the only female in the state team alongside Ambrose Giak, Aslan Goh, Russell Kung and Sean Wong.
Aslan and Russell progressed to the semi-finals, while Ambrose secured a spot in the finals of the ‘Male Open’ category.
