Dana Taylor (she/her), Coach

While I love all forms of climbing, I have a specific love for trad climbing, and I especially love helping trad climbers with strength training and movement coaching.

I believe most people don't know what they're truly capable of. I help climbers come face-to-face with their perceived limitations while giving them physical and mental tools to go further. I am passionate about helping climbers meaningfully engage with the complexities of climbing as a way to learn more about themselves.

Email: dana@projectdirectcoaching.com

Proud sends

Separate Reality - 5.12a Trad - California (pictured)

More Monkey than Funky - 5.11c Trad - California

Cookie Mix - 5.12a Sport - California

Echando Raises - 5.12b Sport - Mexico

Cara Cortada - 5.12a Sport - Mexico

Trucutrulove - 5.12a Sport - Mexico

  • “Dana has been such a gift to me. When I started, my goal was to really work through my mental game related to fear of failure and my own sense of self-worth. I was worried that those feelings would burn me out as a climber. Through her, I’ve started to appreciate how big climbing is - that it’s not just about grades but these large unquantifiable things like community and heart.

    She breaks me out of a too shallow achievement-oriented mindset and provides very simple reflective exercises on and off the wall - it’s both a philosophy and a practice. I feel changes in my climbing - when I go on a route, it’s a more immersive, beautiful experience and something that I can imagine carrying with me the rest of my life.”

    -1 on 1 Athlete, Emily Liu

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  • "Dana has absolutely knocked of out of the park creating the space for me to actually follow through on climbing training for the first time in my life.

    I met Dana on the road in J tree right after she finished teaching an architecture class from a starlink from the top of a boulder. Turns out I needed a woman that would make me feel seen, validate me, totally nerd out on the science with me, and be the ultimate stoker."

    -1 on 1 Athlete, Alana Kamahele

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  • “I went from second-guessing every single piece of gear to firing cams and moving above them with confidence. I am no longer that sport-climber friend whose gym strength is useless on granite. My year of trad boot camp has led me to challenging climbs that require both sporty gymnastic strength and level-headed trad assuredness.

    Trad climbing trains me to trust my own judgment and ability in tenuous situations. 

    Trad climbing is practice for the type of life I want to live: a life of my own design; a life where the path is not neatly laid out before me.“

    Blog: From Bolts to Cams

  • “Working with Dana was such a wonderful experience. Her keen attention to detail in both my lifting form and climbing movement was invaluable.

    I also appreciated her understanding of my life and how to help me get the most out of my training. Her feedback was so thoughtful and intentional. She made me feel motivated to work harder but also always made me feel proud of whatever I had accomplished that week, big or small.”

    -Deann Synder

    Custom Training & Movement Coaching

coaching experience + education

Certifications + Education

NASM - Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)

B.S. Architectural Studies - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

M. Arch - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Want to meet & work with dana?

“I joined Project Direct because I wanted to be part of a coaching team that genuinely helps athletes maintain a positive relationship with our sport through personalized training.

Nothing at PD is cookie-cutter, we invest the time to get to know our athletes, and we build programming that's custom, specific, and effective. Also, as a former dirtbag, I feel right at home working alongside a team that prioritizes outdoor climbing. “