One dad’s desire to give his kids lifelong, record-breaking memories resulted in internet trolls calling Child Protective Services on him.
Joe Evermore and his wife, Ann, live in Colorado Springs and are passionate about rock climbing. It was back in May when the entire family tackled one of the biggest climbs in the world: Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, which is recognized as the world’s largest granite cliff and stands 7,573 feet tall.
It was during that climb that 7-year-old Joey Evermore set the record for youngest person to ever climb El Capitan. The moment was something the entire family cherished, but Joe Evermore has been surprised by some of the reactions to their story.
Including some people online reporting him to Child Protective Services.
Speaking to People, the father of the rock-climbing family addressed the backlash against he and his wife taking their young kids on complex climbs. Evermore says it’s those who aren’t experienced in climbing themselves – and have no knowledge on it – that are coming after them the hardest:
“There’s a lot of bullying that goes on online… There’s people that think, ‘Hey, your kids would be better put in a foster system’ or put in front of a television, rather than training daily for an epic mission.
They just don’t understand what’s dangerous and what’s not dangerous,” he said. “It’s kind of like someone who says, ‘How can you go on a plane? What if the wings fall off?’ It’s like, no, you’re not even thinking about the actual dangers of the sport.”
The family trains extensively for their climbs, and Joey’s older brothers – Sam and Sylvan Evermore – have been climbing for many years with no complaints from the outside world. It was only after their story of the El Capitan climb made national news earlier this year that CPS calls started up:
“Somebody just sees it, and they’re terrified and comment, ‘This is obviously too dangerous.’ I admit that there are risks, but I think the benefits far outweigh the risks. As a dad, I’m mitigating those risks with a team, with good preparation and with our own skill and our own training.”
And when you watch the videos that are posted by the Evermore family, it’s clear that they know what they are doing… and that the kids are having the time of their lives. Granted, seeing young kids up that high is a bit scary, but Joe and Ann Evermore have made sure their kids are aware of how serious rock climbing is.
So their children take it seriously… while also having a lot of fun as a family:
The good news for Joe and Ann Evermore is that Child Protective Services have decided not to pursue any of the complains that they’ve received. Though what the family is doing might come with risks, CPS acknowledges that the Evermores are doing all they can to keep their kids safe and prepare them for their climbs.
And at the end of the day, they are spending time and making memories as a family… and Child Protective Services aren’t going to step in to stop something like that.
Pretty gnarly though…
