Taradale firefighters stepping up

Three local firefighters will pile on their full kit and climb 1103 stairs up the Sky Tower to raise money for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand, on May 19.

The trio from Taradale Fire Station were brought together by Bjorn Constable, who wanted to get behind the cause.

"I just pushed it, I suppose being a fire fighter and all, I enjoy helping other people," he said. "I thought this was something a little bit different - a bit of a challenge."

So far the training has been going well, with the trio already physically fit from regular training with the fire brigade.

"We have been for runs up Napier steps in our gear and we're doing more cardio - but we only just started."

It is the first time the station has entered a team in the Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge and it was a nervous wait to see if they got a place in the competition.

"Entries were full within the day they opened and we had to wait to hear if we made it before we began training."

Competitor numbers for the annual Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge continue to rise every year, and competition is fierce, with the event growing to attract international competitors.

In full gear, including breathing apparatus, the fire fighters are weighed down by up to 25kg.

The group from Taradale have set up a Facebook page titled "Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge 2012 - Please support us!" and invited 1164 people to back them.

They must do all the fundraising for the event themselves and have individual pages set up at: www.firefightersclimb.org.nz, where people can donate.

It is as easy as heading to the page, clicking on Make a Donation and typing in the key word "Taradale".

"There is no limit. People can donate as little or as much as they like," Mr Constable said.