It's a primary law of physics: What goes up, must come down—or at least that's what Sir Isaac Newton proved after watching that apple fall from a tree. In Singapore, going up and down has equally scientific roots. The fitness community is enamoured with extreme sports competitions, which is why events that send people scurrying up tall building stairwells to nab medals and prizes aren't uncommon. But the art of stair climbing takes a revolutionary step on 3 October 2015 when the first ever “vertical endurance event" is held at the Singapore National Stadium. Organisers call it the "Singapore Sports Hub Stepper" (SSHS). We call it downright exhilarating, which is why you'll want to step up to this first-time competition.

Unlike many other vertical sporting challenges in Singapore, the SSHS is open to everybody—kids, seniors, and everyone in-between who is willing to challenge himself to experiential stair climbing. To get into shape for this new event, Sports Hub will hold clinics to ready participants for October, so it's incumbent upon you to register for the training that runs from 9 July to 26 September so you're in the best condition you can be.

Who are the movers and shakers behind this clever summit? A slew of organisers, sponsors, and volunteers who hope to build on the splash made when OCBC WaterFest 2015 was staged earlier in the year. Around 20,000 people showed up to cheer on water-logged contestants. Organisers hope to drive big inaugural crowds to this event as well. With the launch of the SSHS, Singapore joins other nations like the U.S., New Zealand and Australia who are beginning to use a vertical format for endurance events a lot more these days.

"We intend to maintain this momentum and continue to drive community events for Singaporeans," said Mr Oon Jin Teik, Singapore Sports Hub's chief operating officer. In addition to Sports Hub, sponsors like Great Eastern, Compressport and Kallang Wave Mall helped kick off the initial announcement about the summit on 8 July 2015.

We urge people to sign up for the FIT-Stepper programme so participants are ready to meet unique demands a stair climbing event presents. After all, there are 3,000 steps at the National Stadium, and we want everyone in such good shape, they climb them all!
—Mr Oon Jin Teik

To add sporting glamour to the premier Stepper Summit, members of the Singapore Women's Everest Team were picked to be Stepper Ambassadors. Mountaineers Jane Lee, Sim Yihui, Joanne Soo, Lee Peh Gee, Lee Li Hui, and Esther Tan will be out and about between now and October on a mission to spread the word about the challenge.

Tan, acting as team spokesperson, expressed the delight of the entire team when she said,

The Singapore Women's Everest Team is happy to announce that we will be official ambassadors of the Singapore Sports Hub Stepper. You might say that we're experts at climbing, having trained for Mt. Everest and other formidable mountains, and we know how therapeutic climbing—stairs or mountains—can be to keep a body fit. That's why we'll climb those 3,000 steps, too.

If you're convinced that the first Stepper Summit can't go on without you, sign up for the training sessions, while you're on the site, register too. Choose the appropriate category and difficulty level, pay a modest fee of between S$10 and S$20, and you're on the road to a new achievement, even if you never tried vertical climbing before!

Join the fun and receive goodies like a Compressport event t-shirt, race bib and a finisher medal once you've conquered all of those stairs. If you happen to perform like the Mt. Everest women, you could win position medals and/or Experience Sports hampers valued at more than S$500 each.

We're a proud sponsor of this event because we champion healthy living through sport, and we’re delighted to add this to other events we support, like the Great Eastern Women's Run and Great Eastern-Yeo's S. League. I should add that we're celebrating the 10th anniversary of our Women's Run—with its novel 'three-in-one' stair climbing, sprint, and endurance combination.
—Colin Chan, Chief Marketing Officer of Great Eastern

Have we piqued your curiosity? We see you nodding your head affirmatively as you mull the 3,000-step challenge ahead. If you're balking at doing it alone, what's stopping you from recruiting friends so you can train and compete together? Learn more at Singapore Sports Hub Stepper's official site.

Sign up for the Singapore Sports Hub Stepper here and get your Stepper Pack with every registration.