Climbing the Ranks — And the Walls

For Maya Hocherman-Drimer, life is all about balance – between the rigorous demands of studying computer science at the Technion and the intense discipline of being one of Israel’s top sport climbers. As she enters her second semester in the Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science, she is also preparing for an ambitious summer competing in the World Cup Series and the World Championship in South Korea.

Recently selected for the senior team of the Israeli Olympic Committee’s elite sports unit, Maya’s journey began at age 8 at the Yoav Climbing Wall in Haifa. While many children came to climb, few stayed with the sport as she did. By age 10, Maya had joined the Yoav Wall climbing team under the guidance of coach Or Cohen, who continues to coach her to this day.

She began in lead climbing – the rope-secured ascents familiar to most climbing gyms – but eventually added bouldering to her repertoire. “Bouldering is a very different style from lead climbing,” Maya explains. “It requires more explosive power, coordination, and technique because the number of moves is limited, so each move is more difficult and complex.”

Her first international competition came at 16, a turning point in her athletic mindset. “At first, I didn’t like competitions and felt pushed into them,” she recalls. “But when Israel’s national team was established, competing started to feel more natural – both abroad and in the new national league. I remember traveling to the European Youth Championship, where the European climbers were surprised by the high level of the Israeli athletes. Today, things are very different: Israeli climbers have a global reputation, and our youth team (boys under 17) is ranked first in Europe.”

After serving in the military as a classified active athlete, Maya dedicated two full years to climbing and coaching. “I love coaching and still do it today, but many of us coach to fund our climbing,” she says. “It’s a sport with very little funding, and most of the financial support comes from private sources. Now that I’m part of the senior team I receive a bit more support in certain areas.”

At the Technion, she continues to push boundaries, training five times a week, four hours per session. “The mental resilience you develop in climbing definitely helps with my studies,” she says. “Even more than that, I notice that the more pressure I’m under, the more efficient I become. After classes, I head to the bouldering gym, where I have to think in a completely different way, and I really enjoy that variety.”

Maya, 23, lives in Moshav Habonim with her partner Carmel Raz Romeo, an Israel national team climber and coach of the Technion Climbing Team. “The team has grown significantly in recent years, and now we have 20 student climbers,” she shares. “Although competitions are gender-segregated, training is mixed, which is really nice.”

Next semester, she’ll take on the challenge of global competition – even if it means extending her degree. For Maya, it’s all part of the climb.

Photo credit: Diego Rosman, Israeli Bouldering Championship Finals 2025.