Always on the look-out for stuff to do in Vancouver. Came across this little gem:
Wanna race up 48 floors? Stairclimb for Clean Air, this Sunday Feb 26
by Remy Scalzain Events on February 23, 2012
The Sheraton Wall Centre is one of Vancouver’s iconic skyscrapers. A futuristic spire of dark glass, it towers 48 stories above downtown. If you were to walk up from the bottom floor all the way to the top, you’d be climbing 739 steps.
But why walk when you can run?
This Sunday is the 11th installment of the Stairclimb for Clean Air. A fundraiser for the BC Lung Association, the annual competition tests the mettle of some 500 participants, who try to race up those 739 steps in the fastest time possible. Last year’s winner did it in 4 minutes and 23 seconds (nice job Shaun Stephens-Whale from Roberts Creek). Think you can top that?
To participate, you need to register and raise $125 in pledges. And there’s one other little twist. You’ll be competing against BC’s bravest. Also racing up those 48 stories will be firefighters from throughout the Lower Mainland. Only they have it a little bit tougher than the rest of us. Firefighters are required to compete in full gear: boots, pants, coat (with liners), helmet and gloves. They also have to lug along a breathing apparatus including an oxygen tank for the entire climb.
Can you imagine that? That’s roughly 60-70 pounds of extra equipment – hauled at full speed to the tippy top of a skyscraper. It makes the Stairmaster at the gym look like a joke (If you’re curious, last year’s top firefighter time was 6 minutes 39 seconds by Mark Bertoia of the Surrey Fire Department).
In the end, all the huffing and puffing is for a good cause. An estimated 6 million Canadians are affected by lung disease. The Stairclimb for Clean Air raises money for lung research, clean air initiatives and lung health programs.
To find out more about the Stairclimb for Clean Air, which starts this Sunday at 8:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Wall Centre, check out their website.
:doubleup:If this is typical, I have no doubt that we will find much to see, do and enjoy during our pre- and post-kruise stays in Vancouver! :doubleup:
