Northern leg amputee set to climb CN Tower

North Bay man with one leg to climb the CN Tower Wayne Eyre lost his leg just a year-and-a-half ago but the amputation has not stopped him from raising money for the World Wildlife Fund.

A 71-year-old North Bay man is heading to Toronto to climb the CN Tower. That is 144 flights of stairs and he's doing it just a year-and-a-half after having his leg amputated.

Most people know Wayne Eyre as the trainer of both Nipissing University’s men's and women's hockey teams – and most are also aware he lost his leg about 18 months ago in a roofing accident.

Eyre told CTV News his amputation and new prosthetic leg have not stopped him.

"Everything is so different, you go through the phantom pain stage, then you start physio and you have to decide at that point whether you want your life back or not,” he said.

“I had a goal in mind when I started physio that I wanted to have my life back by this time. It was probably a little unrealistic when I made it – but I actually ended up achieving it."

Sunday, Eyre will head to Toronto and climb all 144 flights of stairs – more than 1,700 individual stairs.

This will be his third time doing the climb, however it is the first time with his prosthetic leg. This climb is part of this year’s World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada’s CN Tower Climb for Nature event.

“All funds raised will support WWF Canada’s efforts to fight biodiversity loss and climate change and regenerate Canada,” said WWF Canada on the event's website.

"I've been training and I've been doing 1,800 stairs three times a week so I think I'll be fine,” said Eyre.

“I know I'll finish – just not so sure I'll be in the same time bracket I was before."

Eyre was formally a marathon runner and said this climb isn't the most demanding thing he will ever do. Nonetheless, he said he is going to do it in hopes he can inspire people facing adversity.

"It's been important for me to maybe be an example and maybe hopefully inspire somebody that's facing this or going through it,” he said.

“Just so they know that their life hasn't ended, just because they've had an amputation it's only ended if that's what their choice is."

Eyre says his goal is to complete the climb in under 30 minutes.

You can get more information on the WWF event or donate to Eyre’s team here.