Climbing a flight of stairs is tough enough. Now imagine doing it as fast as you can, carrying more than 40 pounds of extra weight on the stairwell of the tallest building in Calgary.
Racing up the 57 stories of Brookfield Place in — in full firefighter gear — may sound extreme, but a team from Cochrane Fire Services is up to the challenge.
“By the end of it, your legs are just like Jell-O,” said firefighter Chris Chyka.
“It’s all cardiovascular and your legs take the brunt of it. Once you get to the top, you’ve got no strength left. It’s hard to breathe because the physical exertion is significant. It’s hot in there, because there’s not a lot of air movement in the stairwell — and you’re sweating, carrying all that weight. It’s a real grind.”
Chyka is a longtime participant in Wellspring Alberta’s Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge, an annual fundraiser supporting firefighters and civilians living with cancer. He and Captain Derek Orr have taken part since the event’s inception 11 years ago.
“After we completed year 10, we figured that was good enough,” said Chyka. “But we’re coming back this year — motivated by something personal.”
That motivation is the memory of their late comrade, Captain Huw Jeffries, who passed away last year. The 2025 event takes place on Sunday, June 8 — just weeks shy of the anniversary of his death.
“He was our captain for about 10 years,” Chyka said. “It’s a really big loss, especially for Derek and me, because of how long we worked together and how tight our relationship was.”
Jeffries left a lasting mark on his colleagues, both professionally and personally.
“He was a very knowledgeable captain,” Chyka added. “We would confide in him, learn from him, and be guided by him. It’s a profound loss, and we’re still coming to grips with it. We want to let his wife and daughters know that he’s still part of our family. He may not be here, but we think of him every day.”
What began as a personal goal for Chyka and Orr — to raise $2,000 — quickly grew into something bigger. This year, 21 members of Cochrane Fire Services have joined the cause. As of June 2, the team has raised more than $14,000, placing them second overall on the event’s team leaderboard.
“We are extremely grateful for the donations we’ve received,” said Chyka. “This is one of our biggest fundraising years ever — with no corporate donors. We’re proud of the support we’ve drummed up and proud to be sitting in second place.”
To support Cochrane Fire Services’ Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge team, visit:
https://give.wellspring.ca/fundraisers/CochraneFireServices260/firefighter-stairclimbchallenge-2025
