Sophie Smith was born on a tiny island off the coast of New South Wales, and grew up in New Zealand and Australia with an abiding love for travel, adventure and the outdoors. She started writing stories when she was seven, and won several local competitions while she was still in school. She was always climbing trees (and walls and rocks and fences), so her parents encouraged her to start training at a local climbing gym when she was fourteen. 

Sport climbing has exploded in popularity in the last couple of years, with its inclusion in the 2020/2021 Olympic Games; the incredible success of documentaries like Alex Honnold’s “Free Solo”; and the proliferation of bouldering and climbing gyms in almost all major cities, but when Sophie started competing with the Australian team in 2005, it was much more niche. 

At the age of 22, still in love with climbing, but heartbroken after a family tragedy, Sophie jumped on a plane and embarked on a series of amazing adventures across Europe and Asia, from the Picos de Europa in Spain to the Himalayas in Nepal. “Don’t Fall” recounts the true story of Sophie’s journey, as she navigates the extremes of rock climbing, self-discovery, and unexpected romance.