Lianne Gravitis will complete her 19th climb of the CN Tower on May 2 in support of WWF. To date, she's raised $13,000 for the organization.Supplied
The organizer: Lianne Gravitis
The pitch: Raising $13,000 and climbing
The cause: WWF
Lianne Gravitis first climbed Toronto’s CN Tower in 2005, just to see how fast she could run up the 1,776 steps.
“I just wanted to challenge myself,” Ms. Gravitis, 47, recalled from her home in Oakville, Ont. She’s also an animal lover and wanted to support the World Wildlife Fund, which organizes the annual CN Tower Climb for Nature fundraiser. “It just kind of grew from there.”
On May 2, Ms. Gravitis will make her 19th climb. “It’s become a tradition, and it’s been fun. I truly like the community.”
Animals and nature have always been a part of her life. She runs a dog-walking service and supports a local animal shelter. “Animals have always gravitated towards me and I just connect with them,” she said. “They really teach us a lot about life and how to love and how to exist in life, too. Just being so present and grounding.”
The CN Tower climb raises more than $1.5-million annually for WWF, which goes toward protecting habitats for at-risk species such as monarch butterflies, narwhals and barren-ground caribou. There’s also an event at BC Place in Vancouver and an Anywhere Climb that can be done at any location between April and June.
Ms. Gravitis has raised around $13,000 in total so far, including $8,000 in the last four years. Her best time is 21 minutes 19 seconds. She’s hoping to break 20 minutes and practises by climbing the stairs in condominium towers. “It’s never my legs. The problem is more my cardio, trying to breathe.”
Her strategy on May 2 will be to start the climb at around 6 a.m., to avoid the crowds. “If you get there early, you can really motor up the stairs,” she said.
She has no plans to slow down. “I want to do it until I’m frigging, I don’t know, 80,” she said with a laugh. “As long as my body can do it, I’m going to do it. However long that is.”