I completed my climb at Battalion Park lower stairs on Sunday 02 May 2021. The climb took 38 minutes. It was the equivalent of 55 stories.
And here is a 2 minute video posted on Facebook of my assent to the finish. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010698882863
Back in 2019, through 99 donations, our "Team to the Top" raised a remarkable $7,500. This was the third highest individual tally, in joint support of coping with cancer through Wellspring, and the new Calgary Firefighter Wellness charities.
You can see from the above 2019 photo, I was able to complete the 1200 steps to the 55th foor of the Encana building. I was wearing the 40# of firefighter gear. The climb was a very, very exhausting 28 minutes, that took what seemed forever - "are we there yet?" I wondered.
This year, my time to complete, includes the retracing of the steps, beacuse once you are up you have to get to the bottoom to do it again. Ten cycles are needed to get to the required 1204 steps. My ten cycles is 1,290 steps.
Last year, 2020, well prior to the COVID lockdowns I registered for the climb and I was selling honey from my backyard apiary to raise funds. Jars were/are $10 and $20. It is tasty honey. The honey won the 2019 Calgary Beekeepers honey competition "Tasters Choice" red ribbon.
I did register in 2020, however I did not compete as I did not understand the virtual stairclimb rules/program. And I was sick in late March 2020, maybe with THE virus, and not in the mood to torture myself with the training in April. Honey sales of $200 were contributed to Wellspring last year.
My climbs are to acknowledge those that we know who have had cancer, and to raise funds for those who could use help to cope with cancer through the Wellspring programs and Calgary Firefighter wellness charities.
If you could join my "Team to the Top" with a donation or honey purchase, that would be sweet!
Fire Lieutenant Mark Soehner, CFD 1979-2006
96 Havenhurst Crescent SW 403-259-5571
Video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnXHUoUXJoU
and another one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY6Nnc8J7y4&t=30s
