© Matthew Hoffman

Eight years ago, Favia Dubyk was halfway through medical school and making great strides in her side passion of bouldering when she developed problems breathing when lifting her arms. After investigative surgery and an initial misdiagnosis, she was told she had Hodgkin lymphoma and subsequently spent six months bedbound during chemotherapy, which left her so weak that even opening the refrigerator door was a struggle.

A passionate climber, Favia used her return to bouldering as a goal during her recovery. Seven years after her last surgery, she is a kickass climber and qualified pathologist, and on the side, runs the blog Traverse Girl, a guide to the best bouldering traverses in the US, from her home in New Mexico. A two-time Ninja Warrior contestant, Favia also has insane upper body strength – check out her weighted pull-up and one-arm pull-up videos on Instagram after you’ve read our Q&A!