By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THE Eureka Climb, dubbed Australia’s Biggest Vertical Race, is hard enough.
That’s without taking part in the 300-metre vertical challenge decked out in CFA gear from top to toe.
But this is the challenge Hampton Park CFA member Stacey Bull has accepted, after fellow firefighter Will Hinde encouraged her and two other volunteers to take part in the event with him on Sunday 16 November.
Stacey, 20, said four fireys completing the challenge in their protective gear would be a sight to behold.
“It’s the first time I’ve done this, and there’s four of us from the Hampton Park CFA doing it,”
“One of my colleagues did it last year and he talked me into it, so I thought I’d join and give it a go.”
Participants in the Eureka Climb are made to run or walk the 1642 stairs to level 88 of Melbourne’s Eureka Skydeck – the highest observation deck in the southern hemisphere.
People can enter individually or in teams of four, like the eager volunteers from Hampton Park CFA, and the money they raise will go towards the event’s two charity partners Whitelion and Interplast Australia and New Zealand.
Whitelion is a non-profit community organisation that provides youth-focused gender and culturally specific services in areas including mentoring, employment, specialist outreach support and education-based prevention programs.
Interplast is another not-for-profit organisation which works to improve the quality of life for people who are disabled as a result of congenital or acquired medical conditions, including cleft lip palate and burn scar contractures.
Stacey said her group had started preparing for the Eureka Climb earlier in the year, to give themselves the best chance of completing the challenge.
“We’ve had training every Wednesday on and off since April and that’s a boot camp where we have a volunteer trainer helping us,” she said.
“It’s probably something that could become a yearly thing.
“We were all friends beforehand, but this has brought us closer, we need to help each other during training.”
Eureka Climb Event director Ben King said the event seemed to get bigger every year.
“2013 was the biggest year yet for the Eureka Climb with over 2500 participants and a crowd of hundreds watching the action,” Mr King said.
“By all indications, 2014 is set to be the best year yet with registrations coming in from all over the country and overseas.”
