The Nugget Climbing Podcast

EP 294: Melissa Strong — Dying and Coming Back to Life, Having Her Arms Sewn Together, and Returning to Climbing with 7 ¾ Fingers

March 9, 2026·1h 30m
Episode Description from the Publisher

Melissa Strong is a boulderer and restaurateur based in Estes Park, CO, who nearly lost her life in an electrocution accident in April 2017. We talked about her accident, what she experienced on the other side of the veil, having her arms sewn together, what climbing was like before and after the accident, skin graft DNA, the healing process of writing Climbing Through, and much more. You can learn more about Melissa at melissaistrong.com Buy Her Book: Climbing Through: A Courageous Story of Grit, Healing, and Second Chances by Melissa Strong Show Notes: http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/melissa-strong Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:40) – Melissa’s hands (00:04:54) – Life before her accident (00:09:05) – The accident (00:14:56) – The Forest & The Tunnel (00:30:55) – Arms sewn together (00:47:25) – Climbing before & after the accident (00:58:29) – Skin graft DNA (01:00:20) – The expiration date of climbing (01:08:34) – What comes after climbing (01:14:40) – Writing her book (01:21:03) – What’s next (01:24:46) – Where to buy the book (01:26:13) – How Bird & Jim got its name

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