Climbing the stairs for a great cause

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Lieutenant Curtis Visser of the Whitecourt Fire Department and several of his colleagues took part in the Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge on the morning of Saturday, May 15. Twenty-twenty-one is the fourth year that the department has taken part in the challenge, which originated down south. “In the USA, this has been an ongoing thing that they started a long time ago. They support cancer research and a bunch of other things. About eight years ago, some individuals in Calgary thought about doing the stair climb and partnered with Wellspring Calgary to support cancer patients,” he explained.

The movement became part of Whitecourt’s yearly calendar after a previous member brought it forward as an idea. “Our first year, 12 of us went to Calgary to do the challenge. It was awesome. You get to meet a lot of different people and hear their stories. It’s international now because there’s someone from Denmark who does it. His nephew or his cousin is on the Blackfalds department and, when he came to visit him in Alberta, he participated.”

Wellspring Calgary, which reaps the benefits of the event, helps support those diagnosed with cancer by providing emotional, social, and practical supports. “For firefighters, cancer is one of the causes of death due to the types of environments we are exposed to. Multiple cancers have been proven to affect firefighters. That is one of the big reasons for me is to support that. Wellspring Calgary, with all the COVID and everything, all their stuff is virtual so anybody in Western Canada can get support from them, and that’s where these funds are going to.”

Not being able to walk the stairs of the Bow Tower in Calgary the last two years, Whitecourt’s brave had to use something more localized. Given the location and ability to socially distance from others, the CN train bridge was an excellent spot to pick. Getting to walk outside, providing precipitation isn’t a factor, was another positive. “The tower was nice because it was all glass, and as you got up higher, you could see the river and downtown Calgary, but it also gets very hot in there,” said Visser.

“There were things written at each of the stories as you pass by. It didn’t necessarily have to do with cancer. I think it was the 30th floor or something that had a sign saying that two thousand beer cans stacked one on top of one another is how high you were at that moment.” They walked up 1204 stairs to reach the top, which is 55 floors. Though the CN train bridge in Whitecourt can’t offer the same view, there’s something to be said for being closer to the ground. “You can hear people cheering and honking their horns as they drive by. Even with being distanced, you can still get that boost, and it helps keep you going.”

Another big difference between the two locations is that the Bow Tower is a straight shot upwards. “You only walk up, and you get to take the elevator down,” explained Visser. When the Whitecourt firefighters walked down the train bridge stairs, it didn’t count. “It’s actually double the stairs than the tower climb because we can’t count the steps we take when we go down.” When asked which climb was more difficult, Visser said Calgary’s. “I find it easier in Whitecourt. Yes, it is twice as many stairs but going down the stairs is a little bit of a rest. One or two individuals are doing it with us this year that have not done it in Calgary. I told them that it is going to be harder if and when we get to go back to Calgary, and they don’t see how it can be harder because they find it difficult going up and down,” he chuckled.

Each firefighter taking part had to raise a minimum of $250 for the cause, and there are prizes to be won. There was also a competition to see who can complete the challenge fastest. “We will time ourselves for bragging rights internally even though we already know who’s going to win,” laughed Visser. 

One difference from last year’s event at the train bridge is that the bridge will not be accessible during the challenge. “Last year, we social distanced, and some family members were able to join for a bit. This year, just with the way the numbers are and the way that everything is going, the town put out a message that the stairs would be closed, and we’re just going to have one firefighter on either end of the bridge.”

Along with seven Whitecourt firefighters were three from Swan Hills. The average time for each to complete their climb was 20 to 30 minutes. “It’s up and down 28 times,” said Visser. The feat is challenging enough as is but is made that much more challenging by adding in the full gear. “It’s hot and tiring, and it’s heavy. To compare, normally, when I climb stairs without my equipment on, I take two stairs at a time. When I put all my stuff on, it’s one stair at a time,” he laughed. “Our gear weighs about 25 pounds, and the pack weighs about 40 pounds.”

Visser said that near the halfway mark, things start to get really hard. “Around climb 16 out of 28 is when your legs start to feel tired, and your lungs hurt because you’re breathing heavy and you’re getting warm. Hearing a honk or a cheer at that time really helps. We know this event supports people that are suffering, and they are what this is all about.”