Ravenswood firefighters climbed the steps of UTAS Stadium for hours in the name of mental health on Sunday.
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And they did it wearing full protective gear and breathing apparatus, which weighs about 25 kilograms.
It's the second year the Ravenswood Fire Brigade has participated in the Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb.
The virtual event, due to COVID-19, asked participants to walk 3046 steps to recognise the number of Australians who lose their lives to suicide each year.
Six firefighters each climbed the entrance stairs at UTAS stadium a total of 53 times to reach the 3046 target.
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They started climbing at 11am and hoped to finish the challenge within a few hours.
Four laps in and the station's fourth officer Keith McDonald said it was already difficult as the protective clothing did not allow body heat to escape.
He said the crew got involved last year for the first time to help raise awareness and raise funds, with about $2500 raised last year by the team.
"It's a good team building exercise and it's a good personal challenge too. It's not easy," Mr McDonald said.
"It's going to be tough, especially now it's starting to warm up a bit."
The stair climb aims to raise $500,000 for the 000 Foundation, Lifeline and the Black Dog Institute, with about $130,000 raised so far.
Between September 10 and October 10 the cause aimed to reach a million steps for mental health. However, already more than 2.1 million steps have been climbed.
Visit www.firefighterclimb.org.au to donate.
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Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
