Competitive climber Emma Hunt trains with the Stone Summit Climbing Team, where the Summit & Elite Climbing Team head coach is Olexiy Shul’ga, . Hunt, born on April 1, 2003, holds the American women's speed climbing record, which she set at the USA Climbing North American Cup in Salt Lake City in April 2024.
Emma began climbing at the age of five and entered the competitive scene at eight. By 15, she won her first Open Female Speed Nationals making her a standout in the sport. In 2019, Emma joined the women’s speed national team and became the first American woman to complete a speed climb in under seven seconds. She became the only U.S. female athlete to post speed times in the six-second range. Hunt has consistently broken her records, improving her national record 21 times since the summer of 2019.
Her latest achievement came in August 2023 at the IFSC World Championships in Bern, Switzerland. There she set a new personal and national record of 6.67 seconds, earning a silver medal. This achievement also helped her qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Hunt also excels in bouldering and sport climbing. She has competed in all three disciplines earning podium finishes at the national and international levels. She graduated from high school a year early and began attending Kennesaw State University in 2020.
Quick Facts on Emma Hunt's Coach
| Coach Name | Olexiy Shul’ga |
|---|---|
| DOB | - |
| Hometown/Birthplace | Ukraine |
| Nationality | Ukraine |
| Employers/College Team | Stone Summit Climbing team |
| Occupation | Summit & Elite Climbing Team Head Coach |
| Sports | Speed climbing |
| Net Worth | – |
| College | State Institute of Physical Education and Sports. |
| Height | – |
| Weight | – |
Emma Hunt's Coach
As mentioned before, Emma Hunt trains with the Stone Summit Climbing team. Their Summit & Elite Climbing Team Head Coach is Olexiy Shul’ga. The program Head of Program Development is Claudiu Vidulescu.
On Jun 30, 2021, in an interview with Climbing, Hunt said that she trains with team Stone Summit under Shul’ga and also Claudiu Vidulescu as well. Information about Olexiy Shul’ga’s childhood is not available in the public domain, as of June 2024.
Olexiy Shul’ga's Coaching Career
Olexiy Shul’ga has been in the climbing world since 1997 and his coaching career began in 2010. Before the Stone Summit program, Shul’ga led the Ukraine national climbing team in speed climbing. He won a silver medal in the IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships twice in Youth B (2001) and Youth A (2002).
From 2008-2016, he also served as a lecturer at Ukraine's State Institute of Physical Education and Sports, earning a Ph.D. in Sport Science in 2012.
Olexiy Shul’ga's Awards & Achievement
Coached the Ukraine's National Climbing Team
Silver medal in the IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships Youth B (2001)
Silver medal in the IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships Youth A (2002)
FAQ's On Emma Hunt's Coach
A. Emma Hunt was born on April 1, 2003, in Woodstock, Georgia.
A. Emma Hunt went to Kennesaw State University.
A. Emma Hunt is 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) tall.
A. Emma Hunt is an expert in speed climbing.
A. Emma Hunt is an American national.
