Alex Honnold, 40, has been climbing since childhood – later dropping out of college to pursue the sport full-time.

He became a wunderkind in the climbing world in 2008 when he was the first person to free solo the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome at Yosemite National Park, and the Moonlight Buttress at Zion National Park.

He continued climbing major routes around the world, setting records and gaining international attention – including a 2010 documentary about his Half Dome climb, and a 2016 memoir he penned about the experience. He also founded the Honnold Foundation, an environmental non-profit focused on supporting solar energy initiatives.

But it was El Capitan that made him a household name.

In 2017, after more than a year of preparation and training, Honnold free soloed the vertical rock formation in Yosemite, a nail-biting ascent captured in the award-winning 2018 documentary “Free Solo.”

Honnold became an instant celebrity, appearing on talk shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and delivering a TED Talk that’s been viewed millions of times on YouTube.

Since then, he’s gotten married, had two children, launched a podcast, and – of course – kept climbing.