While Alex has been on adventurous pursuits like trail running, watersports and sailing… he’s seen times when the lives of his colleagues, friends and family have depended on the services of a rescue helicopter.
Alex knows personally just how important your crew (and your life-saving support) have been to his region.
“When faced with a critical need for transport to a hospital, or a medical evacuation from a remote location, the rescue helicopter offers hope on what is often the worst day of someone's life,” says Alex.
Alex wanted to say thank you, and to give back to his community. So last year, he started fundraising for the rescue helicopters. And to inspire gifts, Alex would run up Mauao (Mount Maunganui) an astonishing 100 times in just 7 days.
This is no small feat. It’s a staggering vertical ascent of 23,000 meters, and covers a horizontal distance of 250 kilometers. This is the equivalent of Alex climbing Mount Everest 2.5 times, while running 6 consecutive marathons.
And as he did it, Alex raised an incredible $1,820 to help save lives in his community.
Now in 2023, Alex has decided to aim even higher. Over a six-month period, Alex is hoping to climb Mount Maunganui 1,000 times. This monumental feat is equivalent to a weekly climb of 9,000 meters. Not only is this a massive physical challenge, it’s also a big time commitment … all while juggling full-time work!
But he’s already well on his way… In fact, Alex has already completed 200 out of the 1,000 laps for his Mount Everest Challenge, as of 3 July.
“My aim is to reach $2,000, and I'm thrilled to share that I’ve already received $1,220 towards this goal for the rescue helicopter,” says Alex.
Alex, you’re just awesome. On behalf of all of us here at the rescue helicopter, thank you for taking up the challenge and raising much needed funds for your rescue helicopter. Keep climbing!