Many of us spend our Saturday’s watching kid’s sports games, with family and friends lunching and catching up on the week’s events or engaged in activities slightly different to the Monday to Friday routine. Then there are those who challenge themselves and inspire others like Wenny Lubbers, Operations Manager at Versatile Pukekohe.
On the 22nd of May, he was climbing the 328 metre Auckland Sky Tower dressed in his full fire fighters kit (which weighs over 25kg) to raise awareness and funds for Leukemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC).
That’s 51 flights of stairs, or 1,103 individual steps to the top of the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. It is Wenny‘s second year of the challenge and this year he completed it in 17 minutes 55 seconds. Knocking a full minute of his last years’ time and earning himself a 7th position in the Grand Masters category.
“I competed in the ‘Donned’ category, so I wore the full kit, but not the mask. It felt awesome to get to the top. Not wearing the mask can be more challenging as you don’t get the benefit of the fresh air into your lungs. You are effectively breathing in all the air from all the firefighters in front of you! I was pleased with my time, but it was even more amazing to see how well the whole Onewhero team did. They are an exceptional group of people. It is always humbling to be involved in something like this, that raises funds for what is a great cause.”
The whole event raised in excess of $1.3 million, with Wenny contributing nearly $2,000 with his personal fundraising. Wenny is a strong believer in community and runs his business accordingly. The Versatile Pukekohe team value each other and their clients like family and nothing is too difficult when it comes to completing each client’s home to their desired level of expectation.
“We believe that building should be one of the most invigorating experiences of your life and it’s our mission to make it so. We will immerse ourselves in every aspect of your project, going above and beyond to deliver a stunning new home, or a practical new building that meets, and exceeds, your expectations.”
Wenny has worked within the Versatile group since 2010 and is a qualified carpenter by trade. He has completed a Batchelor of Building Environment and worked on numerous projects in both New Zealand and the Netherlands. His team is stacked full of experience and all share in the building passion. Combine this with Wenny’s desire to constantly challenge himself and help others you can be assured that building with Versatile Pukekohe will be the positive experience you expect it to be.