Man's CN Tower stair climb enters 2nd year

The four-minute mile.

The 10-second 100-metre dash.

Completing the CN Tower stair-climb in the same calendar year in which you began it, when it's basically the only exercise you attempt all year.

For decades, humankind has strived to break these impossible barriers, hitting up against them with blood, sweat, tears, and aching thighs. Rick Bassington has now joined the ranks of those humans who dare to dream.

"Last year I heard about the CN Tower stair-climb," says Bassington while taking a break in the mighty tower's stairwell, an activity which he says currently occupies about 23 hours of each day of the attempted feat.

"I knew I wasn't the fittest guy in the world, so I gave it a few months' head start before the official climb. I figured me and the most capable climbers would probably finish around the same time."

"Well, eventually they passed me, and then so did Thanksgiving, and so did Christmas, then my own birthday, recently."

"Which actually helps, because that gets me one step closer to being the oldest person to accomplish this feat."

Asked by this reporter how he has managed to eat during such a long stay in the stairwell, Bassington replied, "Well, I brought some food. And other people bring food when they try to do it, too, and they pass by once in a while."

"Oh, so they give it up to you willingly?"

"I never said willingly," responded Bassington. "Where did you hear 'willingly'?"

Our brief interview finished when this reporter could not manage to mount the stairs as slowly as Bassington. This includes attempting to merely sit still, as Bassington would, "as a fun game," slide down a few stairs on his bottom every once in a while, which seemed to be a bit crazy.

But they also thought Roger Bannister was crazy. So what does this old reporter know?

We wished him well, and walked down the nine flights of stairs we had climbed to meet him.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear sandals. (Why was he doing it in sandals???)

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