This week in Paris, Brooke Raboutou became the first American woman to win an Olympic sport climbing medal. She’s still trying to process it.

"Crazy… It’s been incredible just climbing. I felt so calm and happy and determined out there,” Raboutou told NBCOlympics.com. “For everything to line up and work out and get the silver medal, I feel incredibly overjoyed and grateful.

"It’s been a wild journey."

Born to a family of climbers, 23-year-old Raboutou has been at it her whole life. Her parents, Didier Raboutou and Robyn Erbesfield, were competitive climbers. Her brother, Shawn, is an experienced boulderer. Raboutou has been participating in the competition circuit for years. She was the first American climber to qualify for an Olympic spot in 2019, when the sport made its debut in Tokyo. 

“Back in 2019, it was a goal for me, but I was really young back then. I was almost afraid to say my dreams out loud. And so when it happened...it felt kind of crazy. And I felt like I didn't deserve to qualify at that time,” Raboutou said. “Then, throughout the years, I decided that I wanted to work really hard and I wanted to feel like I deserved to be on that stage.”

“I was proud in Tokyo to have done that… Since then, the growth has just been incredible. So much more positive feelings since then and confidence in myself to do what I love.”

Raboutou finished fifth in Tokyo. But, entering with perspective beyond her years, she achieved her ultimate goal with the faith that the medal would come.

“I kind of always knew that I was capable of getting a medal at the Olympics,” Raboutou said. “That was the goal, but that also wasn't my highest goal. My highest goal was to just continue to progress and represent myself.”

Raboutou aims to improve upon her skills and confidence each time she climbs. It's the same zoomed-out approach that allowed to her transition quickly from attempting to qualify for the Olympics to competing in front of the world in Paris.

“It was really just about taking each step as it came because I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. Even after the first [Olympic Qualifier Series event in Shanghai], when I won, I knew I had obviously good odds to qualify, but my goal was still to climb my best at the next one, no matter what."

Raboutou didn’t just want to do enough to qualify. She wanted to be the best climber she could be at each competition, including at the Olympics. She’s hoping to do the same at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. But she has plenty of celebrating to do first, as the first American woman to win an Olympic sport climbing medal. Her more immediate goals also include traveling and climbing boulders with her brother.

“I want to push my limits and keep progressing,” Raboutou said. “I’d like to spend some time outdoor climbing and working on investing time in climbs that are at my maximum level, which I've never gotten to do. That's a big goal.”

After her performance in Paris, Raboutou should feel like she deserves to be on any climbing stage in the world.