Scaling heights to raise awareness and funds for a good cause
She has a 14-year-old sister with a rare mitochondrial disorder and peers who lack knowledge about palliative care.
So Amanda Ng, 17, signed up for HCA Hospice Care's The Vertical Challenge 2020 with hopes of raising awareness for the cause.
As part of a team comprising nurses from the HCA Star PALS (Paediatric Advanced Life Support) Team, and having completed a 50m elevation gain with her father, she said: "Many people feel that hospice care is sad and devastating. However, being in (the) Star PALS (team), my younger sister Amelia is living her life with so much joy.
"When we look at her abilities, we see that she can achieve so much more in life."
The virtual fund-raising campaign, which started on Oct 1 and ends on Thursday, aims to raise $300,000 to fund 1,000 home visits for patients with life-limiting illnesses.
Participants must complete selected vertical gains (climbing staircases, hills and ridges) under the challenge category, which allows multiple attempts to complete, or the competitive category, which must be completed in one attempt.
The challenges must be completed at any time before the end of Thursday.
Fitness celebrity and actor Vincent Ng, who is also founder of wushu academy Wufang Singapore, is taking part in the family and friends non-competitive category (50m elevation gain) with a few of his wushu students.
Mr Ng, 45, told The New Paper: "I hope my small efforts will help the patients. It's nothing compared with the difficulty they are going through.
"I want to inculcate values of sharing in the younger generation."
HCA council member and global IT manager Terence Kew, 51, who aims to complete a 2,020m elevation gain in a single attempt and raise $9,000 for 30 home visits, said HCA did home visits in 2015 and provided care for his friend who had cancer.
He was encouraged that "HCA is doing something very beneficial for patients".
Public service officer Lee Chiew Yi, 34, who is part of Ms Ng's team, said her son Zachary, who died two years ago before his third birthday, received palliative care from Star PALS' nurses and doctors for a rare genetic condition.
She has completed 650m of elevation gain and hopes this challenge will raise more awareness for palliative care.
"I like that this challenge encourages participants to exercise while raising awareness for a worthy cause," Ms Lee added.
Registration for The Vertical Challenge 2020
You have until Thursday to sign up at www.thedandelionevents.org/online-registration, or scan the QR code at hca.org.sg/events after selecting The Vertical Challenge 2020.
All participants must reach the minimum age of 16 years old (by event date) to register as individual participants, unless registered as part of a family or a team.
There is no registration fee upfront, but participants have to raise $300, $600 or $3,000 for those taking part as individuals, family and teams or corporations respectively.
The public may sign up in groups of up to five for families, and 10 people for groups.
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