Reigning Corporate Challenge Champions return to Des Moines Fight For Air Climb

Laced up and ready to go. The American Lung Association in Iowa’s reigning corporate challenge champions are ready to defend their title at the Fight For Air Climb in downtown Des Moines, presented by EMC Insurance Companies, on Sunday, April 7. The Farm Bureau Financial Services team will be climbing to raise funds for lung disease research, local lung health education programs, and advocacy initiatives.

Angela Aldridge was recruited to the Farm Bureau Financial Services team years ago by a colleague and the two began training along with a small group of other co-workers for the Climb on weekends. They would meet up at a local high school to climb up and down the bleachers, or run stairs in parking ramps downtown, then go out for coffee or brunch after their training. What started as a fun challenge to get active became a way for the small group to bond. Eventually, their Saturday stair climbing club expanded to include more co-workers.

The team’s hard work paid off last year when the Farm Bureau Financial Services team won the award for fastest corporate team to complete the climb. The Fight For Air Climb in Des Moines is a four-building climb and the Farm Bureau Financial Services team soared to the top of the leader board by climbing a total of 91 floors and 1,936 steps. However, for Aldridge, the real prize is the camaraderie she built up with her team along the way.

“We have participants of all experience and skill levels on our team and we all go at our own pace,” said Aldridge. “However, no matter how long it takes someone to complete a building, we always wait for everyone on the team to finish before we move on to the next building. The team was excited to win the trophy of course, but the feeling of accomplishment stemmed from the fact that we started and finished as a team.”

Although she was initially drawn in by the physical challenge of the Climb, Aldridge is also passionate about supporting the promotion of lung health. The funds raised by Aldridge, her team and the other Climb participants will support the more than 375,000 Iowans living with a chronic lung disease.  

“The Fight For Air Climb is a unique event in that you are really able to connect with the cause you are supporting on a deeper level,” said Aldridge. “At the end of the climb you can understand, even for a little bit, what people with a lung disease may be going through, and why it’s so important for us to work toward a future free from lung disease.”

The first wave of climbers will begin making their way up the stairwells at 8:00 a.m. Angela Aldridge is available for interviews about the Climb, and you can contact Janye Killelea with requests at [email protected] or call 312-940-7624.

Get involved and help the mission of American Lung Association. Learn more about the Fight For Air Climb in Des Moines at FightForAirClimb.org/DesMoines.