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Firefighters will be on quite the mission soon, tackling the Sky Tower.
On May 23, firefighters will race up more than 1000 steps at Auckland city’s Sky Tower in full gear in efforts to raise funds to fight, and awareness of, blood cancers. Among them will be Tom Osborne from the Clevedon Volunteer Fire Brigade.
“I’ve completed the Sky Tower Challenge four times before and I’m aiming to finish it in less than 11 minutes this time,” he told the Times.
In previous attempts, Osborne raised more than $1000; this year he has set a target to double this tally.
“I told the fire station that my goal was $2000 and if I didn’t manage that, I would pay the money myself.”
Blood cancers – including leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma – are among the most common cancers worldwide. While treatments have improved significantly, they remain a major global health concern. Blood Cancer NZ provides essential support for patients and their families.
Recently, Osborne took part in a similar fundraiser, the Camp Sladdin Challenge. Also known as the Stairway to Heaven or 1000 Steps, it requires participants climb a steep track at the Clevedon Reserve near Camp Sladdin.
Osborne completed the task repeatedly over the course of 12 hours while kitted out in all of his firefighting gear.
“The loop you walk up is about 1200 metres high and 2.5 kilometres long,” he says. “We set out to do as many loops as possible to raise as much money as we could.”
In addition, the challenge in Clevedon provided perfect endurance training as he prepares for his Sky Tower climb later this month.
