New West firefighters donned about 40 pounds of gear and raced up 48 floors — in under 14 minutes.
Six members of New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services were among more than 340 participants in this year’s Climb the Wall fundraiser for the BC Lung Foundation. On Sunday, March 2, 46 teams, comprised of 233 firefighters and 113 non-firefighters, ascended to the 48th floor of the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre to raise funds for the foundation.
The crew from New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services included Bryan Mayer (team captain), Glen Bailey, Dante Ballarin, Roxanne Grimbeek, Daniel MacDonald and Jody Nedlak.
Steve Brill, who has been the team’s captain in past years and has taken part in several Climb the Wall events, commended this year’s team for its accomplishment.
“Everybody did really, really well,” he said. “They all represented really well. It was awesome to see.”
This year’s team from New West included participants who had never done the climb before and some returning climbers.
“The people who had never done it before, I heard they were a little shocked. You get up to that 10th or 20th floor, and you realize, ‘Oh man, this is not easy.’ It can be a bit shocking,” Brill said. “Every single one of them finished the race and put up some really good times.”
Ballarin clocked the team’s fastest time, making it to the top in nine minutes and 35 seconds.
“That is an amazing time,” Brill said. “He should be very proud of himself.”
Within minutes, the rest of the New West team made it to the finish line. Mayer was next to make it to the top (10:33), a couple of seconds ahead of Bailey (10:35). The rest of the team soon followed: MacDonald (11:48); Grimbeek (11:50); and Nedelak (13:13).
According to the BC Lung Foundation, the fastest overall time was 5:19, which was completed by a non-firefighter climber without gear, and the longest time was 33:23.
Racing up 48 floors of a steep staircase is no easy feat for anyone — but it’s even more challenging when climbers are wearing about 40 pounds of firefighter gear and are using supplied air from a bottle.
“We train pretty heavily on air, so it’s not a new feeling,” Brill said. “But when you are exerting yourself like that, it can be a little daunting.”
Because firefighters are always prepared to wear the gear when they go into fires, Brill said it’s a “pretty familiar feeling” for participants. Still, it’s important to train ahead of the Climb the Wall fundraiser.
“It’s definitely an event I wouldn’t walk into without training for,” he said.
Members of New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services are proud to participate in the annual Climb the Wall fundraiser.
“It’s a great cause. BC Lung association does great things. We are around a lot of people with difficulty breathing,” Brill said. “We are a very health-oriented fire department … It’s a good challenge.”
According to the BC Lung Foundation, lung disease — including asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer — affects one in five British Columbians. Funds raised through the event support the foundation’s initiatives and projects, with this year’s funds going towards sending kids with asthma to its asthma education camp and providing air quality monitors to communities in need in B.C.
The BC Lung Foundation’s efforts include fighting for lung health and air quality through research, education, advocacy, and patient support initiatives.
“Climb the Wall brings together such an incredible community of supporters to participate in this challenging but rewarding event,” said BC Lung CEO and president Christopher Lam. “We’re grateful to everyone who comes out to climb, celebrate, share their stories, and take action on improving lung health for all British Columbians.”
The 2025 Climb the Wall event has raised more than $112,000, and donations will be open until April 2nd.
