Just 1504 steps and 40 kilograms of fire fighting gear lay between Joe Reid and Aaron Owers and their goal of raising $1504 each for Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
The retained firefighters with the Ulladulla Fire Station are part of team ‘Where’s the Lift?’ and will be participating in the Firefighters Climb for Motor Neurone Disease on October 23.
Along with colleagues from Nowra, Merimbula and Braidwood, Joe and Aaron will race to climb all 98 floors of the Sydney Tower Eye.
Just to make it easier they’ll be sporting an additional 20 kilograms of gear each.
“I’m doing it for a bit of fun, to get fit and raise money for MND,” Joe said.
The pair, along with their team members plan to step up their training ahead of the event with a Crossfit program, plenty of stair climbs and a Pigeon House Mountain trek – all while wearing weight vests.
While the climb is a first for both of them, Joe took on the World Police and Fire Games in 2007 and said the memory is still raw.
“I swore I’d never do it again, I was in so much pain,” he said.
MND, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrigs Disease is a progressive, terminal neurological disease. It affects the nerve cells controlling the muscles that enable movement, speech, breathing and swallowing. It eventually causes death.
All funds raised will directly support MND research at the Macquarie University MND Research Centre.
To donate to Aaron or Joe visit https://firefightersclimbformnd.everydayhero.com/au/wheres-the-lift
