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Completing the Skyscraper charity challenge

19 Sep 2023

Last year, whilst travelling in Canada on business, Colin Rowney was volunteered to participate in the exciting Skyscraper charity challenge - an epic climb of running up over 1,000 steps across 42 floors of the London Cheesegrater, followed by zipping from the 51st floor to the Gherkin. 

Colin's charity of choice was Tommy's, a fund for research into miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth that provides pregnancy health information to parents. They believe it is unacceptable that one in four women in the UK loses a baby during pregnancy and birth and work tirelessly to help support parents to have the best possible pregnancy outcomes. 

Even though training was somewhat delayed with a tough start to 2023, Colin gave it his all. Endlessly running up stairs and doing gym sessions with his new best friend, the Stairmaster. 

Sunday, 10 September, finally arrived. Pre-event nerves were calmed with a warm-up session, and then it was time to go. The climb started in sweltering heat (no air con in the stairwell!), and the stairs seemed like an endless continuous spiral floor after floor.

With the support from fellow competitors and the Skyscraper team, Colin persevered. Floor 42 was far off, but he did it, even taking a sweaty picture en route.

Having completed the climb to floor 42, he had to climb another 9 floors to the top of Cheesegrater for the zip wire to the Gherkin. Even as a lover of heights, being edged off the side of the building over 700 feet in the air felt a little daunting, but safely harnessed in, he could really enjoy the fantastic sights of London and waving to the spectators on the ground. 

Colin said, "It was an absolutely brilliant day and I feel chuffed to have been chosen to take part in the event and raise support and awareness for Tommy’s charity. A big thank you to everyone who donated. I was totally overwhelmed with your support and generosity and smashed the target set."

You still have an opportunity to support Colin's brilliant effort by donating.

https://skyscraperchallenge.tommys.org/fundraising/Colin-Rowney1?edit=page