BONNYVILLE – One local firefighter is planning to take this challenge one-step at a time.
Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) Station 5 Cpt. Craig Wenzel will be making the exhausting climb up 1,356 stairs as part of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) Firefighter Stairclimb. Dressed head-to-toe in full gear, Wenzel will put his endurance to the test in the largest firefighter stairclimb utilizing an oxygen tank in Seattle, Washington on Sunday, March 8.
“It’s one of the toughest climbs for firefighters,” Wenzel noted. “We’ve been doing the Calgary (Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge) for five years now, and some of the guys at the hall decided to try and sign up for something a little harder.”
Along with their full bunker gear, which weighs roughly 65-lbs, participants will be on supplied air from an oxygen tank for the duration of the 69-floor trek.
The LLS Firefighter Stairclimb is a blood cancer research and patient services fundraiser. The overall goal for the 2020 ascend of Columbia Centre is $3-million. Wenzel has already raised the $500 goal he set for himself, and is looking forward to participating for the first time.
Out of the three local firefighters vying for the chance to take part, Wenzel was the only one to secure a spot before they were filled.
“There’s spaces for just under 2,100 people. They sold out in just under 12 minutes this year,” Wenzel exclaimed, adding the idea of participating alone is an alarming prospect.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking. When I signed up, I definitely got butterflies and was nervous. More so when I found out the other guys didn’t get in and were on wait lists. It didn’t pan out for them, but having my family go with me is a little bit more relieving simply because I’ve got someone to be there to be with for the few days other than the stairclimb day.”
Wenzel’s daughter Jensen Wenzel, who’s also a fightfighter for Station 5, will be doing her part to help her dad by swapping out his oxygen tank when he reaches the 43rd floor. A room is set-up in the building to give the firefighters a breather while a new tank is strapped on.
“She was pretty eager for the trip. She was starting to practice to change the bottles over as fast as she can, and I had to tell her to ease off and let me have a break. It’s not like a pit stop with the racecars, I’ll need a break.”
With the climb quickly approaching, Wenzel’s weekly training sessions have increased to two nights a week in order to prepare himself for the daunting task of reaching the top. He spends those evenings decked out in his firefighting gear on the stairs in the R.J. Lalonde Arena.
The chance to help out while working out is what keeps Wenzel signing up for stairclimbs.
“We firefighters, we do have to stay in as good a shape as possible for the work load that we can be put under. The other thing is for the cause that it is, the little bit of discomfort that we’re under climbing these stairs really pales in comparison to the people that we’re trying to raise money for with cancer and whatnot. They’re the real brave and tough ones in this situation,” he expressed.
Wenzel’s only goal for this event is to make it to the top and enjoy the view.
For more information or to make a donation, visit llswa.org.
