Mission accomplished: Murchison firefighter Xavier Reilly completed a tough physical challenge and raised money for a great cause.
Photo by
Kelly Carmody
Murchison firefighter Xavier Reilly was one of around 700 Victorian emergency service members who participated in the Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb on Saturday, September 2, raising more than half a million dollars for mental health and cancer support services.
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The challenge saw firefighters get into 25kg of protective gear and race up 28 floors of the Crown Metropol.
“It’s just stairs; I thought, ‘how hard can it be?’” Mr Reilly said.
After the 10th flight of stairs, Mr Reilly realised he had grossly underestimated the challenge — and is currently suffering for it.
But body ache aside, he couldn’t be happier with the outcome.
He beat his 10-minute target time by seconds, but that wasn’t what it was about.
Final slog: A firefighter crosses the finish line.
Of the $605,000 raised by the initiative, Mr Reilly pitched in $3575, ranking in the top 10 on the day for individual amounts.
A top effort by the young man, his small Murchison community and its surroundings.
“It was an amazing feeling,” he said.
“To see the support and the way the community got around it, I was blown away.”
This year’s beneficiaries from the event are Lifeline, Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation and 000 Foundation.
Before the event, Mr Reilly opened up about why support for mental health was particularly important to him.
He also discussed how the reality of his profession led him down a dark path when he started out as a teenager.
The cancer aspect also hits home for Mr Reilly, as one of his close friends in his brigade is battling the disease.
“I love to challenge myself anyway, but to do it for a good cause is a whole different feeling,” he said.
“I plan to get involved with as much of these as possible while my body is still up to it and I’m able.”
Mr Reilly said he planned to get involved in the initiative next year and invited anyone else interested to do so, but emphasised spots filled up quickly.
This Melbourne Stair Climb was the 10th annual edition. It has raised more money than ever and is still open for donations.
Firefighters and emergency personnel from all over Australia flocked to Melbourne to be part of the stair climb.
CFA firefighters such as Mr Reilly climbed alongside members from Fire Rescue Victoria, Forest Fire Management Victoria, Victoria Police, VICSES, Ambulance Victoria and members from Tasmania, NSW, South Australia and New Zealand.
Since the challenge began in 2014, the event has raised more than $3.5 million, benefiting charities and organisations such as Alfred Hospital Burns Unit, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Lifeline, Black Dog Institute, Emergency Services Foundation and 000 Foundation.
