Firefighters raise money for MND research

Ms Clarke said the climb’s hardest point was the halfway mark, but reaching the top was an “amazing” feeling.

“I thought that I’d be absolutely exhausted, but it was just the biggest adrenaline rush,” she said.

Ms Clarke and fellow team members in ‘Where’s the lift?’ – including firefighters from Nowra, Ulladulla and Merimbula – climbed the tower’s 1504 steps in full kit.

The race to the top of the tower was part of an annual fundraiser for motor neurone disease research.

Motor neurone disease (also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease), is a degenerative condition in which the neurones controlling movement, speech, breath and swallowing gradually die.

There is presently no cure for the disease. On average, two Australians die each day from it.

Clinical trials to test treatment with antiretroviral medication began this month and trials to test the effectiveness of copper ions in treatment are expected to begin in November.

The event, which was open only to firefighters, required teams to climb the tower’s stairs up 98 storeys wearing full firefighting kit weighing 20kg, and raised $472,843.

Nearly 450 firefighters from around the world competed to support research into motor neurone disease, with ‘Where’s the lift?’ raising $15,200. 

Ms Clarke alone raised $3700 through local support. She said there was a “great atmosphere” and thanked all the people, groups and clubs from Braidwood who had supported her.