Meet Our Team
Climbing Instructors
Anyssa Lucena
Anyssa has been climbing and guiding for over 15 years and strongly believes that climbing is a means to deeper healing and self knowledge.
Anyssa was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2002 and was inspired to turn her challenging experience into something that can help other women.
Her cancer experience is a gift that she shares with other women, to help them know it’s going to be ok and to show them that it’s ok to feel disconnected and confused and still find our true, genuine selves at the end.
Jessica Miller
Jess first experienced rock climbing at the Delaware Water Gap on a school trip in 1999, and was hooked. Over the next two decades, while working as an engineer in New York City and abroad, she came back to the to Gunks home crag often and deepened her climbing practice and skills.
As a frequent traveler, she tries to find a crag or more remote adventure wherever she goes. She’s climbed and trek in several of the United States, as well as Sweden, Indonesia, Morocco, Nepal, China, Cambodia, and Mexico. As a guide, she loves sharing climbing skills, snacks, nerding out over gear and helping others grow their confidence.
Gail Blauer
Gail fell in love with the sport at a rock climbing gym. A fateful stay at the Mohonk Mountain House led her to Undercliff Road, where she watched climbers in awe and vowed to learn the ropes herself.
Her journey took her from top roping to sport leading and eventually to traditional leading. Now with over 23 years experience and as a SPI-certified guide, Gail is dedicated to helping others transform their lives through rock climbing. Having moved to the Gunks to pursue her passion, you can find her at the cliff almost every day of the year, sharing the thrill of climbing with others.
Jobi Gabrielli
Jobi fell in love with climbing at work, in the entertainment industry. She started building scaffolding towers and climbing steel stages when she was 18.
After a fellow rigger introduced her to climbing gyms, it became a passion. It wasn’t long before she packed up her belongings and took a roadtrip to several world class locations around the country.
She was fortunate enough to have incredible mentor’s that helped her work through all of the disciplines. She has felt a desire to continually pay it forward and help foster a love of climbing and learning to fellow climbers new and seasoned. If there’s a way she can help teach something, she’s down.
The most rewarding part of climbing is sharing the passion and watching it grow in others.
Meet Our Team
Board of Directors
Shellie Freedman
Shellie has been passionate about climbing ever since she stepped foot in the climbing gym in her early 20’s, followed shortly by trips to climb on real rock.
Since moving from California to New York for law school, she has enjoyed getting to know the Gunks climbing community while exploring the cliffs there. Her climbing goals involve climbing big walls in Yosemite. (Her kids enjoy playing on her portaledge.)
Shellie’s mom is a breast cancer survivor, so the mission of Genuine Climbing is close to her heart. When Shellie is not climbing, you can find her hanging out with her two young kids, baking cakes, riding her bike, or camping.
Dr. Moira Christoudias
Moira is a breast surgical oncologist, climber and mom to 3 kids. She has been climbing for three years and treating women with breast cancer for far longer.
She began climbing after she was invited to visit an indoor climbing gym in Colorado. The seeds were planted after that visit and is constantly learning new climbing skills.
Moira is passionate about both treating women with breast cancer and climbing, and is excited to have found a way to combine these pursuits.
Ling Yin
Ling is an avid skier and tennis player but has never been rock climbing before!
Ling is a Managing Director and Head of Regulatory Reporting Policy at JPMorganChase Company. When she is not working on regulatory reporting rules & interpretation, she loves travel, fashion and experiences with different cuisines.
Ling is a huge supporter of giving back to the community and sits on the board of other charitable organizations.
It’s just a matter of time before we get her on the cliff. Stay tuned.
Meet Our Team
Volunteers
Jane Bishow-semevolos
Jane began climbing in 2019 at the Gunks and easily fell in love. Her eternal smile and good cheer is a staple at the cliff as she enjoys the physical and mental challenges climbing offers.
Jane loves introducing people to climbing so they too can learn new things about themselves and enjoy the adventure. She also enjoys capturing the climbing moments through photography.
Karen Kwilecki, RN
Karen has been a Registered Nurse for 42 years. The highlight of her career has been working as a Breast Nurse Navigator for the last 13 years. She is passionate about the mind, body, spirit connection to healing as her professional intention for patient care. To replenish herself, Karen enjoys the outdoors: hiking, cycling, swimming and practicing yoga.
Kere Kuhr
Kere is nationally board certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). She is certified in Chinese herbology and is a Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) in NY State. Her goals are to help her clients reduce pain and promote health, energy and vitality through her patient and practitioner team approach.