SEATTLE – Graham Fire and Rescue’s Georgia Sanz Daniels climbed to her 10th consecutive women’s stairclimb title while Seattle Fire’s Zach Schade of Tumwater, Wash. was the top overall climber Sunday, at the 16th annually Scott Firefighter Stairclimb at Seattle’s Columbia Center.
The annual stairclimb, which raises funds for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, is the largest individual firefighting competition in the world. One thousand two hundred fifty three firefighters from 200 fire departments in 14 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand made the 69-floor climb in 50 to 70 lbs of “bunker gear” including breathing apparatus worn in the line of duty.
“I’m relieved that I got this one, and just happy to be done,” said Sanz Daniels, 39, of Graham, Wash., who scaled the 1,311 Columbia Center steps in 16 minutes, 15 seconds to reach the podium for the 10th time. Her time was 48 seconds behind her 2006 time of 15:27. “It’s the worst that it’s ever felt. I couldn’t get any air,” said the 5-foot, 5-inch, 135-pound firefighter who finished 89th overall, ahead of 1,164 climbers, most of them men.
In men’s competition, Schade, 39, captured his first men’s title in six tries with an 11 minute, 30 second ascent to the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center. “I felt good about this one. I was able to double-step most of the way up,” said Schade who finished 19 seconds ahead of second place finisher, Paul Kimball, 23, of Spokane Valley Fire Department. Kimball clocked an 11:49 on the Columbia Center steps. Brandon French, 26, of Kalispell Fire Department in Montana was third in 12:05.
“It’s the most emotional win that I’ve had,” said Schade who exchanged high-five’s with the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb’s six-year-old featured patient Ben Nutt of Fox Island, Wash. just prior to the start of Sunday’s climb. Nutt, who is undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, was on hand at the start to cheer on the competitors. “Seeing the excitement on Ben’s face puts things in perspective,” added Schade whose brother Rex beat Leukemia some 15 years ago. “The 10 to 15 minutes of pain that we are going through is nothing compared to what someone with Leukemia experiences.”
Other top finishers include Steven Callagher of Auckland, New Zealand who climbed to a seventh place finish in 12:52. Last year’s men’s winner Brent Molsberry of Chuckanut Fire near Bellingham, Wash. was 11th clocking a 13:08 on the Columbia Center steps. Stacy Waterworth, 41, of Tacoma Fire was the second female finisher clocking a 16:47. Elizabeth Thompson, 32, of Portland Fire and Rescue in Oregon was third in women’s competition with an 18:04.
Sponsored by Scott Health & Safety, the firefighter climb is the first of two stairclimbs during March at Seattle’s Columbia Center. On Sunday, March 18, the public can tackle the same Columbia Center steps at the 21st annual Big Climb for Leukemia. To register for The Big Climb for Leukemia visit www.bigclimb.org.
More than 747,000 Americans have leukemia, myeloma or lymphoma, the most common form of blood cancer. Among children under 20, leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer. In 2006, an estimated 2,640 Washingtonians were diagnosed with blood cancer and an estimated 1,150 lost their battle with the disease.
For comprehensive results visit www.lls.org/wa/firefighter
Quick Steps
Piping to the start
With the traditional Scotland the Brave resonating from their pipes and echoing throughout the Atrium Level of the Columbia Center, members of the Seattle Firefighters Pipes and Drums led the first battalion of firefighters to the start of the 16th annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb. Conceived to promote the traditions and camaraderie of firefighting and to play at Seattle police and fire department line-of-duty funerals, the 12 members first filled their pipes on Sept. 11, 2004 and now play one to two public and department events each month.
About the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®, (www.lls.org) headquartered in White Plains, NY, is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has invested more than $424 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
The Washington/Alaska Chapter (www.lls.org/wa) is one of 66 local chapters across the US, with additional branches in Canada. Located in Seattle since 1984, the Washington/Alaska Chapter is close to the treatment facilities where patients and families come for lifesaving therapies. Major, annual fundraising campaigns include Team In Training®, Light The Night® Walk, School & Youth ProgramsSM, the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb, the Big Climb for Leukemia and The Leukemia Cup Regatta.