Who is Chris Sharma? Meet Jason Mamoa’s co-host from HBO Max’s The Climb

HBO Max is set to release an all-new reality TV series called The Climb, which will premiere with its first three episodes on January 12, 2023. The upcoming series revolves around a rock climbing competition created by award-winning actor Jason Mamoa and legendary rock climber Chris Sharma.

The Climb will introduce viewers to amateur rock climbers set to undergo various mental and physical challenges to make it till the end and win the grand cash prize. The HBO Max series is created by Jason Mamoa through On The Roam, his very own production company.

The official synopsis for The Climb, according to the press release, reads:

"THE CLIMB is a visually-arresting and life-changing adventure that represents the foundations of rock climbing and exploration of the human spirit."

It further explains that in the competition, amateur climbers have to undergo a series of mental and physical challenges. It adds that they have to utilize some of the world's most intimidating ascents to:

"crown the world’s best amateur climber with a prAna sponsored climbing ambassadorship and a $100,000 cash prize."

With the series set to premiere in little-to-no time, here's all you need to know about the popular rock climber, Chris Omprakash Sharma.

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Chris Sharma from The Climb is an American professional athlete from Santa Cruz, California

Professional rock climber Chris Omprakash Sharma has been married to Jimena Alercon since 2015.

The 41-year-old rock climber's website speaks about his "preternatural climbing ability" and how it sets him apart from all the other climbers. The website also says that this is what has won him the reputation of being among the best rock climbers in the world.

It adds that Sharma is a professional athlete, ambassador and entrepreneur from Santa Cruz, California. The website states that Chris has

"been on a global odyssey, now two decades in the making, in search of the planet’s most difficult and beautiful rock climbs."

Following this, the website mentions that Chris has dedicated many years of his life to figuring out how to climb "singular, aesthetic and seemingly impossible routes." The site also added that Chris has a humble, meditative approach and a powerful dynamic style of movement.

According to his website, Sharma has made numerous contributions to the sport which also includes climbing the first routes that are rated 5.15a and 5.15b. He also etablished the grade of 5.15c.

The website added that over the years, Sharma "popularized various "genres of climbing," and they include bouldering and sport climbing and “psicobloc” (aka deep-water soloing)." Chris' first ascent happened in 2001.

As for social media, The Climb star has more than 568k followers on Instagram, and posts about his adventures, with videos and pictures of his close ones.

Born in 1981, Chris was raised in Santa Cruz, California. The TV personality's first ascent was Biographie. He renamed it Realization, and that's what got him famous in the rock climbing world.

Chris began climbing when he was as young as 11, and found interest when his mother took him to his local climbing gym. By the time he was 16, he was already climbing professionally.

In a teaser released, Chris Sharma tells the contestants,

"We're gonna keep you guys on your toes. No pun intended. When you're pushing your limits most of the time you do fail. But once in a while, it happens. That's where the magic happens."

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Season 1 of The Climb will premiere on January 12, 2023, Thursday night at 3.01 am ET only on HBO Max.