Thousands hustle up the Hancock
Katherine Nelson
Issue date: 3/8/10 Section: News
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"Hustle Up the Hancock" is a fundraising event that takes place every year to raise money for the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago.
Participants can choose to do the full climb, 94 stories, or the half climb, 52 stories, to provide donations for lung research, advocacy and education.
Participants may sign up individually or in groups and can raise money by personally asking for support, or by using an online event management system.
"In 2009 over 2,500 participants indicated they or someone they know has been touched by a form of lung disease," according to the Respiratory Health Association.
One DePaul Graduate student, Marsha Komosa, said it was her third year climbing in the event, and enjoys the experience because it is "such a fun, high-energy sport."
"My first [experience] was the 52-floor 'Half Climb'," Komosa said before the event. "But last year I wanted to challenge myself with the 94-floor climb. Now I'm hooked on the longer distance and I'm doing it again this year."
In order to prepare for the difficult task, Komosa began training approximately eight weeks before the event. "I build up an aerobic base and gradually increase the number of flights I climb. I start with about 30 floors a few times a week and work my way up to over a hundred floors in the week before the race," she said.
DePaul's president, Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, was eager to climb the Hancock for his first time this year.
"I've run three marathons, ridden a lot of 'centuries' on my bike [a 100-mile ride/race], and done a fair bit of mountain-climbing, including Mount Kilimanjaro two years ago, but I've never tried running up a skyscraper," he said.
Fr. Holtschneider had to change his plans in order to attend another donation event in Florida, but he said he hopes to do the event next year.
"I was already up to 90 floors on the Stepmaster," he said.
Due to the motivated climbers and many generous donations, the event is able to raise around $1.3 million for lung disease research programs. This year's fastest climber reached the top in just nine minutes and 32 seconds.
"Seeing so many different people participating, from the competitive racers to those overcoming obstacles to take on the challenge, is humbling," Komosa said.
"I think about the effort it takes for the organizers to put on such a huge and successful event each year and about the people who are impacted positively by it," said Komosa. "I make a pact with myself to endure 94 floors so I can enjoy the after-party and swap stairwell stories with fellow climbers."
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