Seven Tamworth firefighters are stepping up to fight Motor Neuron Disease this weekend.
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Team Tamworth will join over 600 fellow Fire and Rescue NSW officers for the climb of a lifetime on Sunday, as they race up the 98 storeys of Sydney Tower for the annual Firies Climb for MND.
Nathan Fitzsimmons, Pat Burrows, Colin Ferguson, Ben Richards, Malachi Schofield, Benjamin Clifford and Jason Lee will be taking on the 820 foot vertical climb, feeling every one of the 1504 steps.
Climbers will be in full kit, including helmet, as well as carrying a 22 kg breathing apparatus on their back.
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The Tamworth team have been hitting the gym in full kit to prepare, and Mr Lee believes they are more than ready for the challenge.
“This is all of our first go at the climb, so we are all pretty nervous, but excited to be having a go,” he said.
“We’ve heard nothing but good reports though, everyone that has done it is pretty happy with themselves once they are done, and have a sense of fulfilment for raising money and awareness for Motor Neuron Disease.”
To date the team have raised almost $3000 for the cause, with the overall event tally sitting at over $555,000 on Thursday, meaning that the Firies Climb has raised more than $2 million for the Macquarie University Research centre since it began in 2015.
The team are hoping to beat the 18 minute mark on the tower, although fellow firefighters have summited in under 12 minutes.