By LUKE VOOGT
TWO locals will compete in their first Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb next month, joining fellow Ocean Grove firey Adam Thompson.
It’s Adam’s second stair climb, and he is keen to beat last year’s time of 5.19 minutes.
“It’s pretty physically challenging,” he said.
“I was knackered when I got to the top, but you’re doing it for a good cause, so it makes you push yourself harder.”
He’s got some simple advice for 18-year-old Jayden Harrison-Roberts and 19-year-old Jock Smith, who will join him for their maiden climb.
“Just keep pushing,” he said.
“When you feel like you can’t go any more just remember why you’re doing it.”
This year the event is raising money for Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, the largest child health research institute in Australia.
So far Victorian firefighters have raised $131,069 of the event’s $343,000 target.
About 500 firefighters will climb the 28 floors of Crown Metropol Hotel on 3 September, wearing 25kgs of turnout gear and breathing apparatus.
Adam made his stair climb debut last year, raising money for the Peter MacCallum Centre in honour of his mother, who died of cancer nine years ago.
He and the Ocean Grove Fire Brigade raised $950 for the foundation adding to the event total of $250,000.
Adam is hoping he and his colleagues can top that this year.
“They are very excited to do it and it was pretty good of them to take it on,” he said.
