Alexandra Johnson

Alexandra Johnson (born April 3, 1989) is an American rock climber who has made numerous first female ascents, including Clear Blue Skies V12 (8A+) in Colorado, and Book of Nightmares V12 (8A+) and Lethal Design V12 (8A+) in Red Rocks. Her highest rated send, as of 2022, was “The Swarm” V14 (8B+) in Bishop. In 2009, she won the overall American Bouldering Series, and has twice won individual stages in the annual Bouldering World Cup series.

Alex Johnson was born and raised in Hudson, Wisconsin. She began climbing in 1997, won her first American Bouldering Series Youth Climbing National Championship in 2002 at age twelve, and won the Adult National Championships in 2003 at age thirteen. She continued to win professional bouldering competitions throughout her childhood, but in her last two years of high school she turned away from climbing to focus her energy on track, and in 2007, she won the Wisconsin State Championships in pole vaulting. This win helped her earn a track and field scholarship to attend Minnesota State University.

In 2008, she won the first stage of the annual Bouldering World Cup series held in America (Anna Stöhr won the overall 2008 Bouldering World Cup). After her first World Cup stage win, Johnson left Minnesota State University and moved to Colorado to focus on bouldering. She won the overall 2009 American Bouldering Series (ABS 10), and took second to Alex Puccio in another 2009 World Cup stage (Akiyo Noguchi won the overall 2009 Bouldering World Cup), but won a second World Cup stage in 2010 (Akiyo Noguchi also won the overall 2010 Bouldering World Cup).