Ready… Set…. GO!

By Cecilia Huang, our fabulous Development Assistant

We are only two days away from the event.  How exciting is that?!  It’s exciting alright, but one might wonder what is so special about the Stairclimb that really gets us going?

Today I interviewed our team and asked the big question:  What is the one thing you are looking forward to the most this weekend? Here are their answers.

Jessica:

“Talking to the people who thought they couldn’t do it and congratulating them on their achievements.”

Marissa:

“Seeing the firefighters in full gear (or as little gear as possible…)!”

Emily:

“Meeting all the people I’ve interviewed over the phone.”

Sophie:

“Seeing the entire event come together – it’s my first Stairclimb!”

Myself:

“High-fiving everyone at the top!”

What are YOU are looking forward to this weekend? Tell us in the comments below!

Did You Know that In the 1990s Exercise Went Militant – Literally!

From big hair to combat boots – the next big craze to hit the fitness world was boot camps, based on military training techniques and often taught by ex-military instructors. These hit it big in the ’90s, but are still prevalent today for anyone who is willing to get up ridiculously early and get yelled at. Now drop and give me 20!

I’m Climbing for My Dad

Meet Brian McKendry (pictured above, right), who is making the climb in honour of his father, Jim (left & below).

Why did you sign up for Stairclimb ?

My Dad, Jim, is my inspiration and motivation for participating in Stairclimb 2012. After a 16-month struggle with cancer on the lining of his lung, he passed away on October 29, 2010. Participating in the Stairclimb seemed the obvious choice to raise money for a cause near to my heart.

Your Dad was a great source of inspiration in your life – what made him so special?

His greatest pleasure in life was participating in physical activities – everything from hiking to skiing to weight-lifting and running. He was committed to staying fit. Even through two rounds of chemotherapy, Dad continued to run and lift weights and maintained an unwaveringly positive attitude about his situation, and life in general. On our last visit to the gym together, I remember thinking to myself, “How can he DO this?” He was tough, my old man!

You’re currently our top individual fundraiser. How did that come about?

I’ve actually been quite surprised! I started out with a goal of $500, which seemed like a reasonable amount to try for. Before I knew it, I had to adjust my goal upwards – not once, but twice! – to $1750, which I’m very close to reaching!

Given your father’s legacy of physical fitness, you must be training hard! What’s your secret?

I live in a 12-storey building, so I’ve been running the stairs regularly. I don’t enjoy running in the rain (and let’s face it, it rains a lot in Vancouver!), so it’s the perfect solution. I expect Stairclimb will be a challenge, but it’s one I’m looking forward to.

I’m shooting for a 7 minute climb time. Wish me luck!

Did You Know that TV Fitness Gurus Started in the 1950s?

The ’50s brought us the first TV fitness guru – Jack Lalanne (pictured above) – whose TV show The Jack Lalanne Show would become one of the longest-running programs of its kind. He also came up with the first elastic training band (what we’d now call resistance training), known as the Glamour Stretcher.

Top Ten Reasons I Love My Volunteers

By Marissa, our fantastic Special Events Coordinator

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: We wouldn’t be where we are today without our amazing volunteers.

Last year over  over 75 volunteers got up before the sun to show up and make the Stairclimb for Clean Air happen. Without their tireless work and cheerful attitudes, it wouldn’t have been half the event it turned out to be – or any event at all! We love them, and you should too.

Here are the top ten reasons why:

10.  My volunteers always greet our Climbers with smiling faces and point them to where the good muffins are!

9.  My volunteers will patiently help you organize your donations to make sure that your Aunt Jane gets a tax receipt.

8.  My volunteers are here to make sure you and everyone else are safe and comfortable.

7.  My volunteers ride up and down in an elevator all day… often packed with sweaty Stairclimbers!

6.  My volunteers stay after everyone has gone home to help with the clean-up.

5.  My volunteers spend hours blowing up what seem like one million balloons.

4.  My volunteers run up and down that stairwell SEVERAL times before you even get there! (They have amazing calf muscles.)

3.  My volunteers make sure you get an awesome event day photo. (Don’t forget to visit the photo area!)

2.  My volunteers stand in the stairwell to cheer you on and give you water for 4 hours. 4 HOURS!

1.  My volunteers are willing to get up and be at the Sheraton at 7 AM. On a Sunday morning! ‘Nuff said.

When you see one of our volunteers, take a minute to thank them for making the Stairclimb for Clean Air the amazing event it is! It wouldn’t happen without them!

My warmest thank you to all my volunteers – past and present – you guys seriously rock!

Did You Know That in the 1940s Women Were Discouraged from Exercising?

Generally speaking, the 1940s were not a good time for women and exercise. This was due to an erroneous belief that too much exercise would damage women’s reproductive organs (but not men’s oddly enough). Because of this, women were actively discouraged from working up a sweat.

Despite this attitude, there were one or two fitness trends that popped up - such as the dizzying exercise wheel (pictured above) used in a high fashion photo by Conde Nast.

My Team is Climbing for Me

Meet Cathie Clarkson (pictured with her husband, Ron, and daughters Chelsey and Carissa), a lung cancer survivor and anti-tobacco activist.

Who is on your team?

I’m the namesake for team “Climbing for Cathie.” I won’t be climbing this year, but the rest of my family will be – my husband Ron,  daughters Chelsey and Carissa, and close friends.

Why is Stairclimb  an important event for you?

We’re climbing to raise money to help fund important research and ultimately cures for lung disease. I myself have Stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer, which was diagnosed in the summer of 2010.

How is your recovery going?

I was lucky to be part of a vaccine study and so far it has generated great results! I’d like to say I’m cured of lung cancer, but technically I can’t say that until I reach the five year mark. In the meantime I’m enjoying being smoke-free and have had a busy year doing all sorts of things I always wanted to do:  I joined my first soccer team,   went to Disneyland (see photo above) and visited Las Vegas for the first time. Life is good!

If you could say one thing to young people, what would it be?

I started smoking when I was a kid and just kept going. Look where it got me? If my story can play a role in helping stop children from smoking in the first place (I count teenagers as kids too) –  I’ll be happy!

Special Delivery for Team Captains!

If you’re a team captain, you’ve been sent a special delivery! Since you’re our point of contact with your whole team, we’ve sent you a Team Captain’s Package with tools to help you organize your team and make it even bigger and better – like sign up sheets and posters – so you can be the best Team Captain EVER!

Look out for your package to land in your mailbox this week, or click here to download Team Captain materials on our website. If you have questions or need help with anything, you can send Sophie, our Special Events Assistant, an email at stairclimb@bc.lung.ca.

No Time for the Gym? No Problem.

By Jessica Collins, our wonderful Special Events Intern

As a student, I got used to having a flexible schedule and lots of free time on my hands. But when I recently started working full-time, I was surprised to learn how quickly the day fills up.

It’s not always easy to find the time or energy to exercise when you have to work, especially if you work long hours or have kids or other commitments that require a lot of your spare time. But with a little creativity, it’s possible to find ways to turn everyday activities into ways to get in (or stay in) shape!

With less than a month until the Stairclimb for Clean Air, I thought I would share some of my creative exercise ideas with you, in the hopes that they’ll help you feel less guilty on those days you just can’t make it to the gym!

1. If you have a dog, modify your walk to include a set of stairs.

Check out schools and community centres – they often have outdoor stairs perfect for practicing on!

2. Take the stairs. 

Whether you’re shopping at the mall, skytrain station or at school. It’s easy, doesn’t take much longer (sometimes it’s even faster than waiting for the elevator to arrive) and is excellent practice!

3. Look for convenient staircases to run.

If you are a student – check out the staircases on campus. For example, the stairs on either side of Convo Mall at SFU Burnaby would get you in shape in no time!

4. Lug your groceries.

If you live in an apartment building with an elevator, taking  the stairs while carrying a few extra pounds of grocery bags gets you a full-body workout!

5. Host a Take the Stairs Day

You can challenge your workplace to a Take the Stairs Day to raise awareness of the event you’re participating in, raise some money, and perhaps even add a colleague or two to your team! The concept is simple: for one whole day, your coworkers will have to purchase an elevator pass if they want to take the lazy route – a great way to fundraise for the Stairclimb! We’ve even got tools like posters, elevator passes and much more to make it super easy!

What are your daily exercise ideas and tips?

Beers up. We think you’ll like this.

Our upcoming PUB NIGHT fun-raiser just got even better! We’ve got PRIZES!

Show up for pub night Friday, Feb. 17th and you could win:

• A ’Weekend Retreat’ (value $650): One night’s stay at the Vancouver Grand Westin Hotel + Dinner for two at Lupo Restaurant & Vinoteca + A Massage for two at Phresh Spa
• A Style Soiree and a $300 gift certificate from Vancouver designer Malene Grotrian
• One of 25 Sin Bin pub gift certificates

Has fundraising ever been easier? Think about it:

• Pub night tix cost $20 each!
• Every ticket you sell gets you $10 towards your fundraising total + a beer and a burger for the ticketholder!!
• Your chances of taking home a prize have never been better!!!

Buy your tix today -  contact Sophie at stairclimb@bc.lung.ca or call 604.731.5864

See you Friday night – February 17th — 7pm — at the Sin Bin (Cambie & 2nd)!