Tower challenge gets vollies fired up

Members of the Putaruruvolunteer Fire Brigade will join 750 firefighters in the Sky Tower Stair Challenge.

Ten members of the brigade have been busy training for this Saturday’sevent, the biggest team to enter in the brigade’s third year competing.

Mike Mccann said racing up 750 flights of stairs to raising money for Leukaemia is a cause close to his heart. Participating three years in a row, Mccann dedicates each challenge to his cousin who died of the disease.

The brigade has raised $4600 and hopes to reach $5000 before the big day.

Kimberly Bruce said the mental and physical challenge of being a firefighter is similar to what is needed to complete the race.

‘‘With the breathing mask on you can’t get oxygen to breathe sometimes so it feels like you’re going to suffocate.

The goal is to see each member cross over the finish line.

Recruit Angela Graham said it’s been a big journey to get to the start line over the last six months.

‘‘There’s been a lot of effort and time and we’ve all put so much into it.’’

Training sessions have included trekking the Hakarimata ranges regularly in full kit which weighs 25 kilograms.

‘‘Now we’re just pulling everything together like changing our training completely, running in runners from gumboots,’’ Bruce said.

Eight months of gruelling training have finally paid off with the final countdown only days away.

‘‘There’s a level of excitment. The whole brigade is amped.’’

Donations can be made at firefightersclimb.org.nz