SIP scales Two IFC Mt. Everest for charity
Senior Inspector Mark Sharp, the Officer-in-Charge of Physical and First Aid Training at the newly formed Police College, is always up for a challenge. It was with this mindset that when the finishing touches were being made to the Two International Finance Centre (Two IFC) in Central, Mark was already considering the options of what would be more challenging - a descent outside or an ascent inside the 88-storey, 420-metre high tower, currently listed as the world's sixth tallest building.
Either option was obviously going to incur considerable physical and psychological demands but it wasn't until his friend Graeme Deuchars, a teacher here in Hong Kong, indicated interest in joining Mark in a vertical ultra marathon that the idea was taken further. Mark also felt that the endeavour had some policing relevance, as Hong Kong police officers patrolling and sweeping the stairwells in high-rise buildings around the territory is a common sight. In considering all these factors, Mark then decided that this might become an event of interest to both the Force and the public - be it all an ultra distance one!
In order to establish some sort of proportionality, the pair decided to equate the number of their ascents to the height of the world's highest mountain - Mt. Everest that reaches 29,035 feet. This would be the same as running from the "Star" Ferry to the Peak 23 times.
So at one minute past midnight on February 11, Mark and Graeme set off to try to both set a Guinness Record and raise funds for three prominent local charities : Oxfam, The Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped and the Markus Knosel Project.
The enormity of the undertaking however didn't emerge until after five hours into the event, when Mark had succumbed to motion sickness brought on by constantly turning clockwise inside the stairwell. The nausea and sickness persisted for the rest of the event and this became the biggest limiting factor to the outcome of their performance.
As Mark said: "Since I was young, I've never been very good at handling sea sickness or other types of sickness induced by motion. The impact of this on me made this event the hardest test of endurance that I've undertaken so far, simply because of the terrible state of disorientation that I was experiencing. Graeme on the other hand was not prone to motion sickness and the exerting demands on him were those of the ascents."
Despite the difficulties both Mark and Graeme persevered in their endeavour and eventually completed 23 ascents in 17 hours 36 minutes and 57 seconds. Both were fortunate to also have the physical support from fellow officers who ascended the building with them, taking single ascent opportunities.
Mark extends special thanks to Chief Inspector Patrick Sin Chi-ming, Chief Drill and Musketry Inspector at the Police College, and Senior Inspectors Mark Hayman and Paul Hobson from Police Tactical Unit. Having supporters accompany Mark and Graeme was vital as this allowed them to take their minds away from the monotony of the seemingly endless spiralling on concrete staircase.
Donations in support of the pair's endeavour are still flooding in from Force Formations and Force members and details of the event are available on the Force Notice Board. More donations can now be made on-line via the website www.twoifcmountever estchallenge.com.
To date the charities supported by Mark have received over $250,000 in cash and $200,000 worth of articles for auction, but he still welcomes more from Force members.
SIP Mark Sharp (right) and his teacher-friend Graeme Deuchars have accomplished their endeavour against tremendous odds