A Co Armagh woman fulfilled a dream during lockdown when she poured her passion for rock climbing into what she hopes will be a bestselling children's book.
I Want To Climb Like The Animals Do, by I Want To Climb Like The Animals Do, by Ciera Clayton, has been carefully crafted to give a realistic insight into the joys of climbing in the hope that young children - especially girls - will take it up as a hobby.
The Portadown woman, who works as a project manager for a pharmaceutical company, spent 60 hours a week on top of her 40-hour working week researching and writing her book during the first lockdown last year.
While initially it was a project she wanted to complete as a challenge to herself, she is now thrilled that it has sold across the world and is already encouraging kids to take up the sport she loves.
Ciera (31) says: "Creating a children's book is something I always wanted to do, I just didn't have the right story.
"Had I not found climbing and had the free time in the evenings and weekends due to lockdown, it's a goal I might not have achieved for a long time and I am so happy that I did it., has been carefully crafted to give a realistic insight into the joys of climbing in the hope that young children - especially girls - will take it up as a hobby.
The Portadown woman, who works as a project manager for a pharmaceutical company, spent 60 hours a week on top of her 40-hour working week researching and writing her book during the first lockdown last year.
While initially it was a project she wanted to complete as a challenge to herself, she is now thrilled that it has sold across the world and is already encouraging kids to take up the sport she loves.
Ciera (31) says: "Creating a children's book is something I always wanted to do, I just didn't have the right story.
"Had I not found climbing and had the free time in the evenings and weekends due to lockdown, it's a goal I might not have achieved for a long time and I am so happy that I did it.
Ciera Clayton - I Want to Climb like the Animals Do! Children's Picture Book
"I didn't have a big target or anything at the beginning of the project because I think I was almost doing it for myself to prove to myself that I could do it and if it sold then happy days."
To gauge interest and raise funds to print her book Ciera set up a Kickstarter appeal before the book design was finished.
Kickstarter is a global crowd-funding platform focused on creativity and initially Ciera had hoped that 30 people would pledge £9 to buy one book.
Launched in November, she was astonished with the worldwide interest and the fact the book attracted 135 backers who together pledged £2,448 to help her bring her project to life.
She recalls: "I started to write the book in July and had it finished in September when I began work on the illustrations which took until December.
"I started the Kickstarter campaign on November 11 and it sky-rocketed on day one.
"Mountaineering Ireland contacted me to say that they thought it was a fantastic idea and they wanted to support it where they could, that's when my eyes were opened to the possibilities of this book and what it can bring to the climbing community.
"I knew then that I wasn't the only one that believed in it. At that point I knew the book had to be not only well written but visually technically sound too, I wanted to encourage the correct techniques into children's minds, seeing positive imagery and correct form from their first introduction to climbing."
I Want to Climb Like the Animals Do is the story of an adventurous six-year-old girl called Sophie who loves animals.
Sophie wishes she could climb the way the animals do; hanging, scaling, jumping and swinging.
The story unfolds when Sophie's father brings her to an indoor climbing centre where Joyce, the friendly instructor, teaches Sophie to climb using techniques and methods of the animals she loves.
Ciera explains: "I spent hours every night designing the bouldering centre to ensure each route on the walls could be an actual climbing route, each position Sophie's body is in is a real-life climbing move where we practised positions on the wall to ensure they were technically and physically correct.
"I had climbing instructors and coaches review the content of the book, (the) words and imagery to ensure it was right and made sense for youth coaching.
"I worked a 40-hour week as project manager and then another 60 hours a week for about two months to get the book ready for print and sale before Christmas; it was hard but worth every second.
"The emotion I felt when the Kickstarter ended and the feeling I still have now is overwhelmingly positive. The support I have had from friends and family and strangers is unbelievable and really opened my eyes to how kind people can be and how we all need something positive at this time to focus on and be part of.
"I am very excited for the future and for the next book."
Ciera was introduced to climbing by her sister who lives in London just three years ago and was immediately hooked.
She has helped set up a climbing group in Gilford Community Centre in Co Down where she is devoted to building membership. Covid halted big plans for further developing it last year.
During lockdown she and her husband built a climbing wall in their garden so that they could continue the sport they love.
She says: "You get an adrenalin rush and a sense of achievement learning the new techniques and it is quite physical but you don't have to be strong to do it. It keeps you fit and healthy and fitness is very important to me.
"Not a lot of people know the centre in Gilford has a climbing wall or there is now a club there and my goal for 2021 is to make it more apparent and attract new members.
"I am only one of two female members in our club and that's not a problem but it is well known that it is a male dominated sport and that's why I chose a girl Sophie for my book to encourage more girls to take it up. Girls are wee monkeys too and like to get mucky so there is no reason why they shouldn't enjoy climbing."
Much to Ciera's delight, her book, which is aimed at four- to eight-year-olds, has sold as far away as Japan, Chile, Australia and Canada.
It is her dream now to sell 1,000 copies this year and write the next one of which she hopes will be a series following Sophie through her climbing journey.
She adds: "I am extremely passionate about this book and its content; it has received amazing feedback so far from the backers and I often receive messages and photos from people showing their kids reading it or reliving it and paraphrasing the book later.
"A lot of people commented on the fact it showcases females in climbing as a huge positive, which is amazing and really warms my heart because that's exactly what I wanted it to do.
"To know it is having a positive impact is fantastic and I just really want to get the book out there to as many kids as possible to help encourage the next generation of climbers."
n I Want to Climb like the Animals Do is available on Amazon and eBay.
