Completed United Way CN Tower Stair Climb
Bantam AE Huskies Conquer the CN Tower
Early Saturday morning October 18, while many may still be in bed dreaming of a lazy fall weekend day, the Bantam AE Huskies were well on their way to climbing the stairs to the top of the CN Tower. The team participated in the Enbridge United Way CN Tower Stair Climb, leaving New Hamburg at 6 am. The annual charity event offers teams of teenagers the opportunity to raise money for the United Way and at the same time also conquer the stairs of North America’s tallest free-standing building.
The team had been busy preparing for the task by training on the back stairs at the Wilmot Rec Complex before or after every home game or practice since the team was selected in early September. The WRC stairs include 2 flights of 12 stairs each. While this is a far cry from the 144 flights of 12 stairs each (1776 in total) that make up the stairs to the CN Tower main observation deck, it offered a good local training venue. All 17 players and 3 of the team coaches signed-up for the event, with each one raising a minimum of $35 for the United Way to participate for a team total of close to $1000.
Head Coach Jeff Gerber registered the team in August before tryouts realizing the event offered a unique combination of team-building, fitness-training, and raised money for a good cause. “We’ve taken teams to leadership camps, or to high-ropes courses before as a way to build team chemistry but climbing the stairs to the top of CN Tower together would be something more than a one-day event. It would be something we would prepare for as a team and it would represent a real accomplishment that we hope propels us forward to a strong season.”
The team’s fitness gear that they wore for the climb includes a shirt with ‘Huskies Hockey” on the front and the team’s motto printed on the back alongside a silhouette of the CN Tower, ”There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” Team member Sam Miller believes that climbing the CN Tower was a great thing for the team to share. “It’s hard to imagine us facing any more difficult obstacle during the year than that – it should help us get through any tough times we face on the ice. And it’s pretty cool to say you’ve climbed the CN Tower. ”
Tyson Wagler led the Huskies registering a time of 13 minutes 40 seconds, followed by Wyatt Rempel at 14:33 and Jackson Gerber at 15:01. Head Coach Jeff Gerber, making sure that all the players completed the climb safely, and that he finished in a state that would allow him to walk the next day, brought up the rear in 24:48.
Thankfully the team didn’t play a game till the Wednesday after the climb and it turned out their legs were only a little tired for their next practice held Sunday at noon!
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