The BMC is proud to welcome all-round climbing legend Emma Twyford to our team of ambassadors. To mark the occasion, we've also just released The Big Bang, the award-winning film documenting Emma's journey to 9a, on BMC TV and it's free to watch for everyone.

Emma is well known for her cutting-edge ascents of both trad and sport climbs. Famously she was the first British woman to break through to the magical 9a grade as well as having several E9 ascents to her credit.

The Big Bang, which won Best Climbing Film at Kendal Mountain Festival in 2019, shows how Emma powered and crimped her way to the top of the 9a at Lower Pen Trwyn, ending a three-year battle and entering British climbing’s history books as the first British woman to break the 9a barrier.

This 30-minute film by filmmaker David Petts of Volo Digital is her story. Graded 9a, The Big Bang is one of the UK's hardest climbs and had only previously been climbed twice in its 23-year history. The film captures epic footage on The Big Issue (E9) in Pembroke, Mind Control (8c) in Oliana, Spain and big walling in the Dolomites.

WATCH: The Big Bang; The Emma Twyford Story on BMC TV

Newest BMC Ambassador: Emma Twyford

Our ambassadors seek to reflect the values and aims of the BMC and as such Emma is perfect for the role. Emma matches her commitment to climbing, combining her inspirational climbing with the physical and creative art of route-setting, with a deep-felt commitment to the world about her.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity and I definitely have a lot of things I’d like to get involved with,” Emma says.

“In terms of climbing, I’m really keen to encourage girls into climbing, and trad climbing in particular. Throughout my climbing career simply being outside has been one of the most important things and the effect it has on our mental health is, I think, huge. We are seeing lots of women climbing indoors these days; wouldn’t it be great if we could encourage them to climb outside, to make it a lifelong activity.”

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Emma’s visibility, both in the media and appearing at climbing walls around the UK where she is one of the country’s favourite routesetters, will surely place her well to fulfil this desire and is the perfect ambition of a BMC ambassador.

Her other passion is raising environmental awareness.

“I’m really into the bigger picture; trying to encourage people to think about things like how our banking can have environmental impacts. I’m an ambassador for organisations like Protect Our Winters and others that look to make people think about how we, as outdoors people, can be more proactive environmentally.”

As well as this, Emma is keen to continue with her talks and video work for the BMC and we look forward to following her adventures.

WATCH: Emma Twyford talk about her new BMC Ambassador role

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