Navy’s Sky Tower first 

SIMON MAUDE

Last updated 16:14, May 25 2015

Supplied

Navy firefighter Bart Couprie can stand the heat.

He fights fires and cancer.

Chief Petty Officer Bartus ‘Bart’ Couprie has become the first Royal New Zealand Navy firefighter to scale the Sky Tower’s stairs for a fundraiser.

Couprie raced up the tower’s 1108 steps wearing full fire fighting gear raising money for cancer sufferers through Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand.

The 29 year old navy veteran, who is being treated for prostate cancer, joined more than 750 emergency service people from around the world for 2015’s Sky Tower Stair Challenge.

 “Luckily my prognosis is excellent. Others aren’t as lucky so I’m doing all I can to help them . . . this is a great opportunity to pay it forward,” Couprie says.

Couprie raised nearly $2300 towards the more than $980,000 raised overall to help those with leukaemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers.

“After the first 20 storeys  you start to wonder why you signed up for this it’s just a slow slog, you push, about the 47th floor you start to hear the cheers of the crowds, it lifts you but the last few flights of stairs are the longest of the climb, then there’s the finish gate and you are through, you’ve done it!

“It was an awesome day, I will be back next year but I will be bringing some people with me.”

Originally from the Hutt Valley, Couprie works at the navy’s Ngataringa Bay Sea Safety Training Squadron instructing sailors on fire fighting.

 

 – Stuff