More than 600 steps up with 15 kilos of luggage on your back. Nine firefighters from Beilen did so yesterday, on September 11, during the Firefighter Stair Climb, in memory of the victims of 9/11.
The stair climbing event in the WTC building in Almere raised money for a foundation that works for people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Firefighters, police and ambulance staff and military personnel were allowed to participate in the Firefighter Stair Climb in their work uniform. In total, more than 17,000 euros was raised.
“We like a challenge. We didn’t know what to expect at all,” says Erwin Zwiers, one of the participating firefighters from Beilen. You had to train for the ascent. “We did that twice a week for three months. We started in Beilen, in a senior citizen complex, later at Attero in Wijster and the police station in Assen with 285 steps.”
“We were well trained, but it was still quite heavy, especially with that heavy pack,” said Zwiers. “It went up 600 steps in Almere and no stairs are the same. One is steeper than the other, so the one from the WTC building was of course very different from what we had trained on. Especially at step 250 it became difficult, you start to sour and your calves hurt.”
Nevertheless, the Beiler firefighters successfully completed the Firefighter Stair Climb, as did the other participants. “I don’t really have any problems. It’s not that bad now,” says Zwiers.