Skyrise Chicago 2024 

“Shot for the moon…reached the stars” 

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I woke up and looked out the window at downtown Chicago. The streets were shiny from the early morning rain. The rising sun was a bit blocked by the clouds, but it was there, and it was still shining. I could see the Willis Tower a block away. Starring me down…waiting. 

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The Willis Skyrise climb is something I have wanted to do since I first heard about it years ago. However, waitressing until the wee hours of a Notre Dame football game weekend, made this experience a 'hopefully', 'someday' kind of dream. 

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I had trained for several months for this, and it was time. I put on my gear, prayed that I would do my best and walked out of the hotel room. As I walked down the sidewalk toward the Willis tower, I snapped pictures in my mind, and forty or fifty on my phone, of all the beautiful buildings, the awe-inspiring architecture and the lines of the city. I looked to the top of the Willis tower peeking through the low clouds. I thought to myself, you got this, followed by a slightly overwhelming, WOW… that’s a very tall building and I’m really going to climb that???! 

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The staging area in the building was full of runners and their supporters! It was great to see such a diverse group of people. Some with severe disabilities, all gathered to raise money for an amazing medical institution and, like myself, for our own personal causes. As I walked toward the starting point, I thought about the children I was running for and all the support I had received from you that so greatly benefits their lives. I started with the belief and energy that I could accomplish this in 15 mins. Was it a lofty goal…absolutely. Did I think It was actually doable?...100%! 

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So, here I go. I put my headphones on, cranked up a high energy motivational message and as the man at the starting point waved me off, I began my climb. As I climbed the first group of steps I smiled and thought how special it was to finally be climbing the Willis tower. I looked ahead and dug in. As I rounded past another flight, I didn’t look at the floor number. I didn’t need to know. I just needed…to climb! 

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I felt like I had been climbing for a while. My legs were starting to burn and the steps felt like they passed under my feet like the road markings passing underneath you as you drive down the interstate. I was on fire! I thought. Rounding the corner of another flight, I again didn’t look at the floor number. “You gotta get up each day and you have to fight! You have to believe in yourself, and you have to believe you can persevere!”, pumped through my headphones. This was not just a challenge, this was fun! This was something unique and different and I was so happy to be running up these stairs. It was an emotional moment, and I loved it. 

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My legs were now feeling the burn, and I was starting to sweat. Hopefully I don’t smell like onions, I did eat beef last night, I thought. I could barely hear my feet over the motivational messages that were pumping into my ears. I rounded the corner and started up the last group of steps for this flight. I thought, it’s good…it’s good…keep pushing, I’m getting there. As I hit the last stair of the flight, I rounded the corner, and the floor number was right there to greet me. It felt like it had been a while, so I decided to look. As the floor number entered my brain, I could feel my legs burning and I thought…The FOURTH FLOOR! I am literally on the fourth floor! 

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How could I have had so many thoughts and emotions in only four floors? This is EXTREME! I was skipping steps…oops…I remembered being told during training that I would tire faster doing that. Shoot. Slow it down…take it 1 step at a time! I pushed up the next flight with the single stepping method and when I saw the next floor sign, which of course read FIVE…I realized that there was in fact not a number missing from the last floor. I laughed at myself, and then I thought of the overall time that I had wanted to complete this in. Fifteen minutes was the goal. WHAT WAS I THINKING when I set that goal? 

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I knew what I had to do as I had been here before so many times. It is like getting up at five in the morning to train. When my alarm goes off, I just want to hit snooze. I haven’t even started yet, and I am trying to find an excuse in my mind to hit the snooze button again. Then I tell myself to move…and I get up, and go! With renewed energy I picked up the pace. My legs are no longer burning and my mind fully focused on the task at hand. Which was simple…just keep climbing. Just like Dory in Finding Nemo. I was like her…the happy fish! Only I kept singing to myself, just keep climbing, just keep climbing! One step at a time. 

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As I reached the 40th floor, I looked at my watch. I was less than halfway up, and fifteen minutes had already passed. As much as I felt defeated, I thought to myself how hard all the donors work for every penny they earn, and so generously have given to these children on my behalf. Goals are goals, and I WILL run up this building in fifteen minutes someday, just not today. But I will do one thing. I am going to reach the top of this building, which could so desperately use some color in its stairwell, and I am going to have fun along the way. 

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Racing up the steps, I thought of all the donors that support us. Their generous support of the children and believing in me, gave me all the inspiration I needed to keep pushing myself up what seemed like a wall of never-ending stairs. 

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I climbed my last step that day and crossed the finish line at 7:51 a.m. Thirty-five minutes and thirty seconds after I started. 105 flights had been climbed, totaling 2,149 stairs. It was a fun accomplishment and for such a great cause. We raised over 1.5 million dollars for the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and over $2,300 for the kids we support through Love Wins Now. 

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As I saw others crossing the line, especially those with disabilities that had just accomplished something so physical and grueling, I realized why I love doing this. I love challenging myself. I love being part of something where others challenge themselves! We are all capable of so much more! This sparked a new kind of passion. There is so much we can do with combined efforts to make a massive impact! I could have done better and raised more money for each stair I climbed, but I climbed them all, and I could not be more inspired by your support. I ran up some stairs, but you all proved to me that Love really does win! It did today, and it will tomorrow! 

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I will keep pushing myself to support our educational efforts at Love Wins Now. I have done many of these unique events and I have learned so much about myself, and all of you in the process. Stay tuned as LWN is gearing up for some great things that will be coming soon to help educational programs right here at home. ​

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By Melies Kish and Robert Coulter