Racing for charity the hard way

TV3 newsreader Hilary Barry dons her firefighter kit. Photo / Janna Dixon

Twenty-five kilograms of firefighting gear and 51 flights of stairs were no match for newsreader Hilary Barry yesterday.

Barry took on the annual Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge with 430 firefighters from New Zealand, Australia and the US.

Firefighting crews were competing to be first to the top of the 1103-step tower, and to raise the most money for the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation.

Barry, who is an ambassador for the foundation, said of reaching the top: "It just feels so good to have done it."

Wearing full firefighting kit, including a 25kg oxygen tank, was tougher than expected.

"I think we had full oxygen tanks. We were expecting empty ones." Barry had trained for the event by climbing stairs with foundation executive director Pru Etcheverry.

Etcheverry said they were spurred on by cheers from the crowd waiting to greet runners at the top.

"From about floor 47 you can hear the people cheering."

Organisers hope the proceeds from this year's event will beat almost $150,000 raised by firefighters last year for the charity, which supports patients with leukaemia and their families as well as those with related blood conditions.