![\"Steve](\"https:\/\/wellspring.ca\/alberta\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/07\/Edit-47-300x200.jpg\" "\\"Steve")
![\"Written](\"https:\/\/wellspring.ca\/alberta\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/07\/Edit-48-200x300.jpg\" "\\"Written")
As for the annual stairclimb challenges, these are more than just a physical feat, for Steve they are a deeply personal mission.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom passed away from cancer in 2018,\u201d he said. \u201cShe would sometimes come watch us train. We don\u2019t have skyscrapers in Stettler, so we\u2019d show up to train in full gear at 6 am at the rec centre. Sometimes she showed up too, just to cheer us on. I think it meant a lot to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve climbs in honour of his mom, as well as others in his community and his circle of friends. People like Bernie Jackson, a local business owner and dear friend of his mother, who continues to face cancer with remarkable strength.<\/p>\n
\u201cBernie\u2019s been fighting cancer for years\u2014it comes and goes\u2014but she doesn\u2019t give up. Her attitude is incredible,\u201d Steve says. \u201cI\u2019ve climbed for her twice and I\u2019ve given her the leg banners I wore with her name. She\u2019s got them hanging in her store.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last year, the climb took on a new level of significance when fellow Stettler firefighter, Tony Cianfarani was diagnosed with cancer and was too sick to participate with his team. Steve and their other teammates surrounded Tony with support and encouragement and celebrated when he was well enough to completed the 2025 climb, exactly one year to the day after finishing chemotherapy.<\/p>\n
For Steve, it\u2019s important to be there for his teammates, and to stand in solidarity with all those who have to dig deep for strength just to live through adversity.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople look up to firefighters\u2014they appreciate the unthinkable things we do. But when I see people going through things like cancer\u2014I know it\u2019s a challenge to keep your mental game strong. And when they see us out there training for this event, climbing stairs for them, I think it gives them a bit of a boost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
And so, the climbs continue, the Canadian flag in tow, a symbol of hope and the power of compassion.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can bring people a bit of hope, a smile, show them we care\u2014that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about,\u201d said Steve.<\/p>\n
Capture You Wellspring Moment<\/h3>\n
At the event, be sure to drop by the photo wall and capture fun memories at our event at our Wellspring photo spot, generously provided by Snaptique,<\/a>\u00a0the leading company for photo booth rental in Vancouver<\/a>, Niagara, and Toronto. Their unique touch ensures a special experience for all guests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every time firefighter Steve Maruk suits up for the Wellspring Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge, he carries more than just his gear, he carries a Canadian flag. The flag, bearing his handwritten notes of every climb it\u2019s been to, symbolizes more than Steve\u2019s patriotism, it\u2019s his talisman of resilience and hope. \u201cI\u2019ve always had this Canadian flag […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":13783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[103,8],"tags":[],"location":[168],"class_list":["post-13777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-our-inside-stories","location-alberta"],"yoast_head":"\n