163-Story Stair Climb: PHOTOS and VIDEO!

It’s over. I did it.

After months of training and a two-week postponement due to injury, I finally conquered my latest fitness challenge: to climb on a StairMaster the equivalent of the world’s tallest building, without stopping.

It was difficult. It was tiring. Afterward, I was a sweat-soaked mess on the verge of collapse.

But I did it. And I’m ridiculously proud. Proud of completing the challenge, most definitely, but also proud of the money that was raised for a great cause: $1,643, from well over 40 generous donors, benefitting the Whaley Children’s Center in Flint, Michigan.

UPDATE: Add in the $772.38 that I raised for the American Lung Association during their Fight For Air Climb 2012 (see the awesome pics here), and that’s $2,415.38 going to two wonderful causes. Thanks, everyone!

The stair climb was extensively documented by my two friends and official witnesses, Maggie Peters and Heidi Powers. Maggie took a ton of photographs, and Heidi shot footage that I edited into a short little video. I know y’all like visuals (my haircut photo-essay last month got a great reaction), and since the video and the photos turned out so wonderfully, I’m gonna let them tell the story of my fitness challenge. ENJOY!

VIDEO:

If you can’t see the video embedded above, click here to watch on YouTube. It’s a little over three minutes long, shot by Heidi, and edited by me.

PHOTOS:

All photos by Maggie Peters.

Outside Crunch Burbank on Saturday, May 5, 2012, 9:45am. Minutes before beginning the challenge.

Next to the StairMaster I’m about to use.

I’ve begun!

Maggie photographing Heidi getting footage of my feet. Around 70 stories in.

Getting sweaty! I climbed backwards for about 4 minutes, and hit the 100-story milestone during that time.

Getting really sweaty… only 10 more stories to go!

It’s my final few steps…

…and DONE! FINISHED! CONQUERED IT!

OFFICIAL STATS: I climbed 165 stories (the 163 I committed to, plus two as a cool-down). Time: 44 minutes, 13 seconds. Calories burned: 599.

Post-climb exhaustion…

…and post-climb elation!

Me and Maggie. It was Maggie and her husband Matthew that initially inspired this fundraiser. Their donation was the first one I received on my way to raising $1,643 for Whaley Children’s Center.

Me and Heidi. Heidi and her husband Tom’s donation brought me to my $1,630 goal. Heidi’s observation after taking this photo: “David, you’re dripping like a sponge!”

There you have it. While I’ll happily take a well-earned break from the StairMaster, I’m not done with the fitness challenges. I’ll announce my next challenge tomorrow… and it’s taking place in just a few short weeks! Yikes!

KEEP IT UP, DAVID!

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