Fire and Rescue NSW Cobar brigade captain Alex Lennon joined 999 fire fighters, paramedics and police officers on Saturday in Melbourne to raise over $1.1 million.
The group of 1,000 first responders, wearing their full turnout of 25kg of firefighting gear (or equivalent), took on a momentous stair climb, 28 floors of the Crown Metropol, to raise funds for cancer research and mental health support.
“I completed the climb in eight and a half minutes but it felt like hours,” Alex said.
“The first 10 levels were soul destroying but once I found a rhythm it was going well until the last couple of levels where it was just about making one more step.
“With the help of Cobar, I raised almost $4,000 making me the 14th highest fundraiser.”
“The climb raised funds to support Lifeline, 000 Foundation and Peter Mac Cancer Foundation which will assist with significant health and well-being issues faced by our first responders and their families on a daily basis.
“This year was the first time I’ve climbed it in Melbourne and what was really nice to see, was the range of responders. It wasn’t just firefighters, we were shoulder to shoulder with paramedics and police officers too.”
Alex said while his calves still haven’t forgiven him for Saturday’s climb, he is however keen to do it again next year in Sydney.
