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Third Edition of “The Climb” Takes Place This Saturday Third Edition of "The Climb" Takes Place This Saturday

By Ian Unsworth

On My Team16 Climb Bib
© 2021 On My Team16

IAN UNSWORTH: The Syracuse State Tower has 338 stairs. Saturday participants in the Climb will ascend those steps to raise money for On My Team 16, a non-profit fighting childhood cancer. Founder Jordan Zapisek came up with the name to honor her family’s love of sports, and her brother Jack’s victory over Leukemia.

JORDAN ZAPISEK: Athletes and cancer patients have a lot in common.They have to follow specific regiments to get their body well, to stay in shape, to be able to fight a disease, to be able to perform in the games.

UNSWORTH: Twenty flights of stairs ask for a lot of performance. Second-year participant Diane Nichols says what keeps her going up the steps is the connections she makes along the way.

DIANE NICHOLS: Every floor seeing the child’s picture there, or the family there. The drive and determination, that nothing can be as tough at that moment, for me, than what those families are going through.

UNSWORTH: So the climb record is under two minutes and 30 seconds. I’m only on floor six, and I’m wiped. Probably doesn’t help that I’m wearing a dress shirt and pants… So maybe the athletic clothing takes a couple of seconds off my time. Regardless of what the participants are wearing this Saturday, they’re doing it for one reason – to say they climbed cancer. Ian Unsworth, N-C-C News.”

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — There are 338 steps in the Syracuse State Tower building. This Saturday, Central New Yorkers will climb them all to fight childhood cancer. “The Climb,” organized by On My Team16, is a charity event where participants and sponsors team up to raise money against 

On My Team16 was founded by Jordan Zapisek after her brother, Jack Sheridan, was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2014. The name comes from their family’s love of sports, and Jack’s number 16, which he wore as a pitcher at Christian Brothers Academy. The reason for the creation of OMT16 was simple.

“We wanted to give back to others what so many other people gave to us,” Zapisek said.

The Climb serves to do just that. In its third year (the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the event from happening in 2020), the event has been a wild success, drawing hundreds of people from around CNY to come together and raise money. Unfortunately, numbers are limited to 200 this year because of safety concerns, but funds are still flowing in thanks to sponsors. SidearmSports, a live statistics company started by Syracuse University graduates, is the main sponsor of the Climb.

The event not only raises money, it also serves to build community. Diane Nichols, a local gym owner in Syracuse, will be participating in her second Climb this weekend. She said the crowded nature of the stairwells causes people to motivate each other.

“It’s pretty crowded in the stairwells, so if you see someone struggling, you come up next to them and give them a pat on the back and tell ‘em, ‘we got this!’” Nichols said.

The record climb of all 20 flights is 2:19. That’s two minutes, 19 seconds. I gave it my best shot, and was pretty far off that pace.

The Climb begins on Saturday at 10 AM. The event is sold out, but Central New Yorkers can donate to the cause on the On My Team16 Website.

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