Our Story
Founded By Legends
Synergy Climbing and Ninja is a collaboration between World Cup winner, world-renowned rock climber Lisa Rands and the first American Ninja Warrior champion Isaac Caldiero. The original climbing gym in Chattanooga, the legendary Tennessee Bouldering Authority (TBA) founded in 2000 by Luis Rodriguez, teamed up with these two athletes to help build the community and contribute to the project.
It was the rock climbing around Chattanooga that brought everyone together. On short visits to the area, Lisa Rands and her husband Wills Young developed a love for the incredible cliffs and boulders of the region and after a few visits over a few years they decided to purchase a house in one of Chattanooga’s “up-and-coming” neighborhoods.
Before long, friends were visiting too, and Isaac Caldiero was one of those friends. Isaac came to explore the bouldering—and to train at TBA between his appearances on the NBC show, American Ninja Warrior.
Despite its small size and tiny climbing walls, Tennessee Bouldering Authority had steadily gained a reputation for incredible route-setting, and for being the go-to location for serious climbers. Over about 20 years, the small gym had become the home of local bouldering, and the center of the fast growing climbing community.
The neighborhood location of the gym underwent change, and TBA needed to move. Climbers dreamed of building a state-of-the-art climbing center, while Isaac Caldiero wanted to develop his own ninja zone to bring his love of ninja to the area. Chattanooga, needed somewhere that serious climbers and athletes could congregate, and that they could make their home-from-home!
Ultimately, it was Lisa Rands and husband Wills Young who provided the driving force, founding The Synergy Project, and bringing this amazing gym to life!
Read more about Synergy founders.