Take the Lead

Hanging On, Letting Go, and Conquering Life's Hardest Climbs

By: Sasha DiGiulian

Narrated by: Sasha DiGiulian

This program is read by the author.

World champion climber Sasha DiGiulian tells her story—from coming of age under the scrutiny of social media, navigating a male-dominated sport, and tackling her most heart-stopping climbs—and shares the power of perseverance and positivity.

At age six, Sasha DiGiulian stepped into a climbing gym for the first time and was competing within a year. Decked out in all-pink gear and with her blonde hair tied into pigtails, Sasha knew from an early age what it was like to be a girl in a traditionally male-dominated sport, vowing to never sacrifice her femininity to fit in. With a fierce love for the climb and incredible natural talent, Sasha soon won her first National Sport Climbing Championship at only seventeen, and a year later took the title of World Champion.

To her fans, it looked like Sasha was on top of the world. But under the accolades, she was just another young woman learning how to handle the intense scrutiny of social media and dealing with body dysmorphia, all while quietly facing a potentially career-ending injury. In a relatable and inspiring voice, Take the Lead reflects on the highs and lows of Sasha’s illustrious life and career for the first time, bringing listeners on her remarkable journey from novice climber to Columbia University graduate, adventurer, environmentalist, and entrepreneur, and one of the most recognizable faces in climbing.

For listeners of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Megan Rapinoe’s One Life, Take the Lead ultimately emphasizes the power of perseverance, fearlessness and positivity in tackling some of the most daunting and fearsome climbs—on and off the wall.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

Critic reviews

<p>"<i>Take the Lead</i> allows us to enter the fearless mind-set of Sasha, from her childhood to first place on the podium at the most prestigious international climbing competitions, and ultimately her lifestyle traveling the world to climb some of the most challenging rock formations ever achieved. Sasha demonstrates the strength of her vision, as well as the discipline to do whatever necessary to realize her goals and raise the bar for women." —Lynn Hill, climber and author of <i>Climbing Free</i><br><br>"In <i>Take the Lead</i>, Sasha shares her views seeped in optimism and dedication, her two ingredients to her success as a professional climber. Regardless of where you are, or the type of sport you practice, there is wisdom in Sasha's experience that can help you be the person you want to be." —Conrad Anker, mountaineer and author<br><br>"This well-written memoir combines professional rock climber DiGiulian's life story with fascinating<br>information about an increasingly popular sport . . . Readers will cheer." —<i>Booklist</i> (starred review)<br><br> "Sasha DiGiulian is a card-carrying badass whose life experiences we can all learn from. Her stories of freakishly scary rock climbs that enable her to channel her courage into the world of business help us all see that our best selves are always on the other side of our discomfort zone. <i>Take the Lead</i> is for anyone in need of inspiration to overcome their fears in pursuit of their biggest dreams." —Sarah Robb O'Hagan, CEO of EXOS and author of <i>Extreme You</i><br><br>“DiGiulian has established herself as the best female climber in the United States and arguably the best female rock climber in the world.” –<i>The Washington Post</i></p>

Excellent storytelling from one of climbing’s best

Sasha’s story of groundbreaking ascents from around the world is told in a way that brings readers in and inspires. Highly recommended.

Extremely inspiring

An engaging story, well written, and well told. It will make you want to get outdoors for sure!

Great story of resilience and success , read by the author.

Sasha DiGiulian’s first hand account of her path to the top of the rock climbing world is as unlikely and it is inspiring. Her story of not only succeeding on many of the world’s most challenging climbs, but doing so while along the way investing her profits in earning a degree from Columbia University and starting a nutrition company at 29 years old shows what can be done when there is a will to do it.

Nice & inspiring work Sasha!

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook! Definitely a valuable addition for the climbing community and beyond!

so inspiring

loved hearing Sasha's story. thank you for sharing it! it has been so amazing to hear everything she's been through and how she continues to fight through her pain and struggles. as a climber myself, I deeply appreciated relating to some of her hardships.