UCOL kaiako to take volunteer firefighting role to new heights

UCOL are proud to support Mike Roil-Glendenning, UCOL Wairarapa Infrastructure Works Lecturer, with his mission to tackle the country’s ultimate annual firefighter challenge in aid of raising funds for Kiwis living with blood cancer.

A volunteer firefighter at Greytown Fire Station, Mike is set to take on the Sky Tower Challenge in May alongside two teammates.

He says gaining a spot in this year’s Challenge was an incredible feeling.

“A group of us from my brigade tried to register last year, however, spots fill up fast and we missed out so when we were accepted this year, we were stoked!”

He says he’s proud to be part of such a worthy cause to raise funds for Blood Cancer New Zealand.

“As a child, my friend’s brother had Leukaemia and had a really rough go of it. Thankfully he beat it, but the journey was really hard on his family, so by helping to raise awareness and money for Blood Cancer NZ we are giving forward to those that one day may need support.”

He says he was also driven to take on the Challenge to fulfil personal health and fitness goals.

“Climbing 51 flights of stairs while wearing an additional 25 kilograms of firefighting PPE and equipment is going to be tough, but our team are highly motivated to reach peak fitness by doing plenty of hill climbs with weighted backpacks to simulate wearing our breathing apparatus gear, strength training, and a lot of conditioning work so we’re well prepared.”

“UCOL have been great, and I’m proud their name now features on our fire station employer board! I was able to take a week away from work in August last year to do my firefighter recruit course, and they’ve also been supportive of me taking time off work in May to travel to Auckland to participate in the Sky Tower Challenge.”

He says becoming a volunteer firefighter has been a rewarding experience in many ways.

“It’s enabled me to give back to my amazing community and challenge myself in a way I have never done before.

“I’ve also been able to show my three adult children it's never too late to try something new, and hopefully along the way make them proud of their dad.”

For anyone wishing to support Roil-Glendenning’s fundraising quest, donations can be made through his Challenge page: https://firefighterschallenge.org.nz/mike-roil-glendenning.