CN Tower climbers reach for the top
October 24, 2009
Leslie Ferenc
STAFF REPORTER
It's a long way to the top of the CN Tower – 1776 steps to be exact.
No sweat for Juanita Vasquez. She made it in 22 minutes last year. Not bad for a first-timer.
The 22-year-old plans to break her record when she and 35 teammates from Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre take on the stairs Sunday during the Enbridge CN Tower Climb to help raise money for United Way Toronto.
To reach her goal, Vasquez has been practising. So has the rest of the team. Members have been training for weeks building up endurance and strength hauling up and down 12 flights of stairs at their Jane St. building.
"I didn't practise enough before the climb last year and that made it hard," said Vasquez. "What motivated me to keep going was seeing all the other people climbing."
The climb is one of the United Way's biggest fundraisers. Last year, more than 11,000 people raised more than $1.6 million. The student and public climbs take place Saturday and the final corporate team challenge is on Sunday.
To be in shape this year, Vasquez said she opted for a healthier lifestyle, giving up fast food for home-cooked meals with plenty of veggies and fruits. The regime has worked.
Fellow climber Michael Mederos, 18, is in equally fine form. He's been putting in extra hours at the gym, pumping iron and running.
Mederos will have something to celebrate when he reaches the top. He has never been up the tower.
It's not as hard as it looks, according to Gary Cheav, who climbed last year. Easy for him to say. He is only 14 and full of vim and vigour. But he does have a goal. "I want to make it to the top without stopping."
Money raised by the climb will help support more than 200 United Way agencies including Jane/Finch, providing health and social services to one in three Torontonians, such as seniors, youth, newcomers, the poor and disabled.
Not long ago, Vasquez received support from one of those agencies where she attended a prenatal program. "United Way does so much to help our community and others." she said. "I wanted to give back."
Toronto Star
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