It's not every day that you meet a couple of real Wall-Stars like Tori and Clark Allen．
Tori，eleven，and Clark，nine， specialize in the boom ing sport of indoor climbing．The Indiana sister and brother earned spots on the United States team that will com pete this summer in Moscow， Russia by placing first in their age divisions against international competition in San Francisco last October．
That's pretty good， especially considering that just a year ago， neither one had ever clim bed before．
Was it tough（困难的）at first？
Not at all，says Clark，though he adm its（允许）that some first-timers can find the sport a little scary（令人害怕的）．Standing at the bottom of a forty-foot or fifty-foot wall studded（镶嵌着）with plastic／rubber handholds—some sm aller than half a gold ball—can be a little nerve-wracking， he adm its．“Sometim es it's hard for beginners．They don't know what the holds feel like and they're afraid of heights and they're afraid the ropes are going to break，”says Clark．
Climbers wear a safety things and rope in case of a fall，but it doesn't help them climb．
Tori says a new climber's firstgrab and lift can be the toughest．“I think that the hardest part is tryingto get up the courage to get on the wall，”she says．
The Allen kids are among the most successful of many，many newcomers to the sport of indoor climbing
“Membership in the Junior Competitive Climbing Association is four times what it was just three years ago，”says the president of the Portland，Oregon beased group，Jeanne Niemer．
It is an easy sport to take up．“To start out，most gyms（体育馆） rent（出租）you the equipment（设备），”Niemer says．“Usually nothing more than a pair of shoes and a harness．”
Climbing gyms are popping up all over the country．Some people climb indoors during the winter to stay in shape for climbing real rock faces．Others just find it easier to visit a climbing gym than to go cliff-searching．It all adds up to a GREat way for kids to have fun and get in shape．You won't find many couch potatoes pulling themselves up a vertical（垂直的）wall．
from Jack Jill
