Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Sharnie Harper's heartfelt inspiration for Sky Tower Stair Challenge

By Stuart Whitaker
Bay of Plenty Times·
15 May, 2019 11:03 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Pukehina volunteer firefighter Sharnie Harper preparing for the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge.

Pukehina volunteer firefighter Sharnie Harper preparing for the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge.

Fitness training in full firefighting gear isn't the unusual sight it might have once been.

Pukehina Firefighter Sharnie Harper is getting into shape for her first tilt at the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge this weekend, and says she has had a few funny looks while out in her gear with an air cylinder on her back.

''But I've also heard people mutter, 'she must be training for Sky Tower', so they know what we are up to,'' says Sharnie.

The challenge involves climbing to the top of Auckland's Sky Tower - 1103 steps and 51 flights.

With places highly sought after, the event is always over-subscribed and, despite applying several times in the past, this is the first time Sharnie's application has been successful.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''Every time I've gone to register [in the past] it's always been full - I'm just lucky this time I guess,'' she says.

She is in the category where breathing apparatus, including the cylinder, has to be carried, but the mask does not need to be worn and says she is just happy to be there.

The annual event raises money for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand and that is a major motivation for Sharnie.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''I had a mate that passed away from leukaemia and I've known other people also, so it's a close-to-the-heart cause and that's the reason I"m doing it.''

She also sees it as her personal tribute to the New York firefighters who died in 9/11.

Sharnie works in Tauranga, close to Tauranga Domain, so she has used the steps in the stands for training as well as the stairs in the Pukehina fire station. She has also trained at Pāpāmoa Hills and Mauao.

''I've done a lot of cardio training, a lot of stair climbs and a lot of leg work. In my weekends I really go anywhere that's got stairs.''

Training hasn't gone totally smoothly, part of it having been done with a broken arm.

Sharnie has beaten her $1000 fundraising target thanks to a number of fundraising events and contributions from friends, relatives and work colleagues.

A senior firefighter, she has been a member of Pukehina Brigade since 2002, although she had five years away from the brigade due to an unrelated injury.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Sport

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

12 Jul 03:37 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

12 Jul 02:27 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM

In her debut at Madison Square Garden, the 30-year-old produced a 'total beatdown'.

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

12 Jul 03:37 AM
One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

12 Jul 02:27 AM
Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

12 Jul 12:43 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP