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A group of 12 Manly volunteer fire fighters, with members aged from 20 to 59 years old, is taking part in this year’s Sky Tower Challenge, although finding time to train and fundraise has been difficult in recent months.
The event is on May 20. It involves climbing 51 flights of stairs in Auckland’s Sky Tower in full firefighting kit to raise money for Leukemia and Blood Cancer NZ.
Jade Wickman is one of three women in the Manly Skywalkers team. It’s the second time she’s done the climb for charity, and this time she, along with several other team members, will wear additional breathing apparatus – the mask means your lungs need to work harder on the steep climb.
Two of the team, Deon Holgate and Nathan Glen, have entered the tough Man of Steel category which requires climbing an extra nine flights of stairs and wearing a heavy steel tank.
Paige Macdonald has also set herself a difficult challenge – she is taking on the big climb after giving birth just four months ago.
The fire fighters have had a busy few months following the storms, which Jade says has hampered their ability to train together as a team, as well as their fundraising efforts.
However, they are all enthusiastic about the challenge.
“It’s cool to be part of an event that involves people from all over the country and is for such a good cause,” Jade says. “It’s also a humbling experience.”
To support the Manly Skywalkers, visit https://firefighterschallenge.org.nz/t/manlyskywalkers
