A devoted father has converted the staircase in his house into an impressive climbing wall for his son to practise his rock climbing. Michael Mason, 37, spent £700 making the special climbing structure for his son Leo, 10, who is passionate about rock climbing and dreams of becoming a professional rock climber when he is older.
Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at the age of seven, Leo uses the unique climbing wall which has built into the stairs of their three-bedroom terraced home several times a week. An amazing video showcases Leo ascending the stairs by skillfully navigating the homemade climbing surface.
Talking about his son's reaction to the climbing addition, dad-of-two Michael from Cumbria shared: "When I built it, he thought it was much better than what he thought it was actually going to be."
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He added that the climbing wall is particularly beneficial on quieter days when they haven't been climbing or hiking outdoors: "It's used for the down days when we don't do that big of a climb - we put the mattresses down and he's off."
Despite not using it as often himself, Michael confesses that his son is already out-climbing him: "I don't use it as much as Leo - he's already a lot stronger than me climbing wise."
The outdoor pursuits have reportedly helped reduce Leo's tics, often aggravating his condition, with Michael explaining how addressing stress, sleep, and lack of exercise has made a significant difference: "The biggest things are stress, lack of exercise and lack of sleep - we eliminated the stress with the school side of things which reduced his ticks."
However, the challenges persist in some aspects. Leo's father revealed the physical toll Tourette Syndrome takes on his son's rest, pointing out: "But he was only getting a few hours of sleep at night and was waking up in pain because his ankles would turn in his sleep."
Michael added: "He would chew his mouth so his lips would be sore all the time and he would bite his tongue, it was quite hard to watch. I started taking him out on hikes and I noticed it would help him sleep better at night and he was also getting more exercise. We noticed that him being outdoors and running wild gave him the ability to relax and be in the moment with things."
The father and son team have previously conquered the Wainwrights challenge, which involves climbing 214 peaks across England. Now, they're gearing up to tackle the challenge once more as young Leo is 'full of energy' and thrives in the great outdoors.
Michael shared: "It's a massive feat for someone of Leo's age as it's hundreds of miles of hiking. He's full of energy and a very fit young lad. I take him out and he learns so much more than what he would if he was sat at home, reading out of a book and looking at pictures of mountains."
Michael explained that building the structure was part of his commitment to 'always supporting' his children's interests. He has a history of creating spaces for them to pursue their hobbies, including smaller climbing walls in past homes.
The dedicated dad said: "I've always supported my kids no matter what they do. When they did martial arts, I literally turned my living room into a gym and we had mats in there. And at every house we've lived in, I've always built a little climbing wall for him."
"It started off in my daughters bedroom and I just put some holes in the wall - it wasn't anything like what I've done now. Then when Covid happened, I built one in the garden so he could use it and then we moved into this house and decided we should utilise the stairs. I made a false ceiling and made it so we can swap and change the holes and he loves it."
