Firefighter walking for charity
WALKING 2km every day in her firefighting gear is the least Kailey Yeoman says she can do for her hero during prostate cancer awareness month.
The Wyndham fire brigade member said she came up with the challenge to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer.
‘‘I’ve got a family member who’s got prostate cancer who was also in the fire brigade.
He’s a life member and he’s just one of the strongest people I know,’’ she said.
‘‘This one’s definitely for him.’’
At the end of the month she will have walked 60km in her level two fire brigade gear.
‘‘That’s the big heavy duty stuff. I’m wearing my breathing apparatus on my back as well. It’s roughly about 1520kg.
‘‘By the end of it, especially when it’s hot, it gets pretty sweaty.’’
She has had to endure the elements on some days, she said.
‘‘There’s been a couple times where it’s like galeforce winds and torrential rain and there’s been snow in the mornings.
‘‘Those days are tough, but nothing compared to what they have to go through when they get chemo.’’
People had been very supportive of the challenge, with family and friends sometimes walking with her, she said.
‘‘FENZ [Fire and Emergency New Zealand] and the Wyndham volunteer fire brigade have been crazy amazing.
‘‘I’ve had half the brigade join in,’’ she said.
‘‘The other day I went with the chief of the brigade and we went down the main street everywhere so people could see us.’’
The Three Rivers Hotel had got behind her as well, donating the proceeds from one of its meat raffles to her fundraiser.
‘‘I’ve got a few buckets around Wyndham and stuff,’’ she said.
She also has a page on justgiving.com called ‘‘Kailey’s
Fire fighter walk’’.
She was pleased to have raised close to $1000 so far.
‘‘I get some weird stares. ’’ However getting attention was the point of her challenge, she said.
‘‘Obviously cancer’s a big thing in our family so I’m always open to raising awareness.’’
The challenge had got easier as time went on and she felt it was even making her a better firefighter.
‘‘I know how to put [my gear] on quicker now.’’
It was also good training for the Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge in Auckland, something she had set her sights on since she first joined the brigade almost five years ago, she said.
The challenge raised money for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand, another cause Ms Yeoman was keen to get behind.