Hot work as brigade shoots for Sky

A whole heap of huffing and puffing will be going on when firefighters clamber to the top of Auckland's iconic Sky Tower.

And a Kamo team hope tough training, including sessions with a personal trainer, will put them near the front of the pack as they raise funds for the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation.

Eleven of the brigade's volunteer firefighters have been donning full fighting kit - 25kg of it - and hitting the gym this week in preparation for the May 19 event which will require them to climb 51 flights, or 1103 steps.

Senior firefighter Hamish Cates believes the intensive gym work, under the scrutiny of Fitness Plus Health Club owner and trainer Jon Renes, could give them the team the edge.

"This is the Kamo brigade's seventh year of contesting the Sky Tower Challenge and so we wanted to mix things up a little with our training; with his background in training elite athletes Jon was the obvious choice to help put us through our paces," Mr Cates said.

On Wednesday, Mr Renes had them run 400m before completing a circuit of exercises and finishing with a vehicle push uphill.

"Over the seven-year period we have trained up Mount Parihaka, Parakiore Hill and up and down six or more flights of steps in Whangarei's highest buildings; that training was one of our most intense workouts to date," Mr Cates said.

"Jon kept us motivated and the adrenalin pumping. The training was structured so that it didn't mater what fitness level each individual was at, we still were able to work together to our own ability."

To date, the Kamo Volunteer Fire Brigade has raised over $17,500 for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ, and with pledges this year sitting at $2400 the team would love to top $3000.

"With our training set to take a step up, it would be great if the public could do so, too, by coming on board to pledge to our brigade."

Tomorrow the crew will be outside the Warehouse in Whangarei with an appliance for the kids to check out. They will also collect donations.

Last year the challenge nationally raised over $171,000. Firefighters and brigades from Northland have always competed well. Paihia volunteers have repeatedly raised the most money.

Every day, six New Zealanders are diagnosed with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma or a related blood condition.