
Hannah Baldwin
Growing up, Hannah was active and adventurous by nature. She wanted to explore, and climb, and compete. This spirit of possibility is what shaped her childhood, until – aged 12 – she had a climbing accident, and soon afterwards was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. The trauma, the treatment, and the recovery changed how she could interact with the world, and in turn how she saw it.
Her teenage years were marked by a sense of isolation, compounded by medical misdiagnoses, and exclusion from a school that was not accessible in her wheelchair. Despite the debilitating grip of PTSD and depression she showed a glimpse of the resilience which would define her story when studying alone – and at home – to pass her GCSE’s.
Defiance in the face of difficulty was a theme that continued as Hannah rediscovered her love of climbing, adapting the sport and learning to climb with one leg. ‘Learn’ she certainly did! Within three years of taking up paraclimbing she was representing Team GB, winning a gold medal at two World Championships and several World Cups.
A severe complication from Crohn’s disease – which left Hannah needing life-saving surgery – and the end of a cherished relationship were further setbacks along the way, testing that infectious spirit of hers. In the shadow of these setbacks, she joined M2M.
“I had been papering over the cracks, and while that had got me so far, I realised that I needed more substantial support. I needed to recalibrate my life. I was drawn to the ethos and purpose of M2M. I was drawn to a group of people achieving things that were never thought possible. Already I have climbed Ben Nevis and spent time walking the coast. Among the community there is an unspoken understanding, a sense of camaraderie, and a shared purpose. Within it I am genuinely ‘seen,’ and that is incredibly refreshing. For the first time in a long time, I have a clear direction.”