Three firefighters from Nyngan Fire and Rescue have stared down the challenge climbing more than 1500 stairs to help tackle a devastating disease.
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Deputy captain Adam Bourke and retained firefighters Jordan Lane and Aaron Bennett from station 406 joined hundreds of firefighters from across Australia for the 2019 Firefighters Climb for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) last Saturday.
The trio climbed the Sydney Tower Eye in their full structural firefighting gear, while wearing a breathing apparatus, adding an extra 20 kilograms onto their weight.
Mr Lane reached the top in 22 minutes, followed by Mr Bourke and Mr Bennett who climbed the 98 storeys in 26 minutes.
Deputy captain Bourke described the experience as "rewarding".
"Once you get into the eye of the tower there's no turning back, you just put all the training you have done into use and go for it," he said.
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"There is no better feeling once you reach the top, it's a sign of relief, but that small amount of struggle we went through to climb that is nothing to the struggle the people with MND go through."
MND is a progressive, terminal neurological disease that affects the nerve cells controlling the muscles that enable us to move, speak, breathe and swallow, causing them to degenerate and die.
The team said that their training, which included climbing the stars at the showground, and the town's water tower certainly helped prepare them for the challenge.
"All the training that we had done building up to the climb definitely helped us prepare ourselves," deputy captain Bourke said.
"I'm proud of the boys for coming along and doing it as a team, we will definitely be back to do it again next year.
"The view from the top was unreal, it was good to sit back, drink some water and enjoy the view."
The team thanked the community for getting behind the team to raise $3181, that will go to the Macquarie University, which has the largest MND research facility.
"We definitely couldn't of done it without the permission from the Bogan Shire Council for letting us climb the water tower, and the awesome support from the people of Nyngan for donating to this great cause," he said.
"It just shows how good small community's can be."
Zaarkacha Marlan
Court and crime reporter at the Daily Liberal. Formerly the sole journalist for the Nyngan Observer, Narromine News and Trangie Advocate.
Court and crime reporter at the Daily Liberal. Formerly the sole journalist for the Nyngan Observer, Narromine News and Trangie Advocate.
