TAMPA, Fla. — After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Fight For Air Climb is back in the Bank of America Building in Downtown Tampa.
Hundreds of people will be climbing hundreds of stairs on April 1 to raise money for the American Lung Association.
One participant will be Troy Alston from Tampa. Over the past 12 years, Alston has competitively climbed more than 92,000 steps.
“I started as an alternative method for the 400-meter hurdles. I had aspirations of competing in the Olympic trials, and I live by the motto, ‘If you want something you never had, you’ll do something that you never did to get it,’ so I found competitive stair climbing,” said Alston.
Alston's first climb was a second-place finish in Orlando and the rest is history.
“One month later, I did my second climb in Fort Lauderdale. Won the race, set a new course record, and I was hooked ever since,” he said.
Alston never made it to the Olympics but has gone on to compete in more than 100 climbs all over the world, winning many of them.
“I like to think of it as God’s rejection is redirection, right? So you never know where life is going to take you," he said. "So I’m really happy for that rejection, I’m doing much better, and I feel like I inspired a lot more people by coming this route."
On April 1, Alston plans to inspire more than 700 climbers right here in Tampa during the American Lung Association's Fight For Air Climb.
Kristen Niemi with the American Lung Association said it’s their biggest fundraiser.
“So our goal this year is to raise over $240,000,” said Niemi. “We are raising funds to end all lung diseases, so asthma, COPD, lung cancer.”
Alston lost his own grandfather to cancer and he’ll be thinking about him every step of the way.
“When you get to the point where it hurts and you are in a lot of pain, think about why you are doing it,” he said.
Alston said out of all the events he’s climbed, this one is in the top five. The Bank of America Building has 42 floors and 914 steps.
The average time to complete is 20 minutes but Alston’s goal is four minutes, which would break the current record of four minutes and 36 seconds.
“For me, it’s more so about the personal accomplishment, it’s about pushing your limits, it’s about helping other people,” he said.
You can register for the Fight For Air Climb right up to the start of the event on April 1. Every person who registers must pledge to raise $100. For more information, click here.
