By Luke Voogt
For Herne Hill firefighter Jamie Lugg, brotherhood is the most important part of the CFA.
Tackling a bushfire or a building ablaze, his fellow firefighters have worked side-by-side to protect each other, he said.
“You have to be able to rely on your crew and trust them with your life.”
But in this year’s Eureka Climb it is Jamie’s brother by blood that will help test his limits.
Jamie completed the 1642 step climb – the biggest vertical race in Australia – wearing full kit in 30.52 minutes last year.
Next month his older brother Bradley will join him for the first time and together they hope to beat that mark.
Jamie and Bradley grew up on a farm in Fresh Water Creek and come from a firefighting family.
“My brother and I are very close – it’s really good support having your family there,” he said.
“We have a bit of a sibling rivalry but that’s just to push each other harder.”
Jamie, who volunteers at the Geelong West Fire Brigade, has completed a number of stair climbs. The first of these raised money for firefighters with cancer.
“We were helping out our own people,” he said
“I just saw it as a challenge really – I’d never attempted something like that before.”
This year the charities will be different, but Jamie said he was happy to help anybody in need.
“That’s why we’re volunteer firefighters.”
Jamie and Bradley have been training for the event with weighted vests and backpacks full of sand.
This weekend they plan to head out to the Dandenong Ranges in full kit.
The pair will join hundreds of CFA members at Eureka Tower on 13 November, raising money for surgery in developing nations and Australian abuse survivors.
For more information or to sponsor a climber visit eurekaclimb.com.au
