On 20th October, along with 600 other firefighters, I will be once again tackling the stairs of the iconic Sydney Tower Eye in Sydney. All of the 1504 stairs/98 floors whilst wearing just over 20kg of structural fire fighting gear including a cylinder on my back.
I'm hoping to raise as much funds for Motor Neurone Disease (MND). All funds raised go directly to the MND research at Macquarie University MND Research Centre.
MND, or ALS, or Lou Gehrigs Disease. It doesn’t matter what you call it you don’t want it. It is a progressive, terminal neurological disease. It affects the nerve cells (neurones) controlling the muscles that enable us to move, speak, breathe and swallow, causing them to degenerate and die. A person's sense and intellect are not affected.
It is estimated more than 2000 people are diagnoised with MND in Australia and each day in Australia two people die from MND.
The symptoms are very mild and difficult to diagnose, there is no known cause and it can strike anyone anytime. This is why it is so vital to keep the research centre operating.
Since the inaugural 'Fire Fighters Climb for MND' event in 2015, it has raised more than $1,300,000 and there are two world-first clinical trials conducted by scientists at Sydney's Macquarie University at aiming to slow down the symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease.
With this amazing continued support, I hope to help find a cure for MND, better yet, a way to prevent it.
These stairs are going to be a challenge, I know because I experienced them last year, but nothing comes close to the challenges that these individuals face each and every day of their lives.
Every dollar raised will directly support MND research at the Macquairie University MND research centre.