Man Climbs Tower to Honor Father’s 3 Lung Cancer Battles

Louisville resident Carter Martin, Jr. began climbing in the Fight For Air Climb after a co-worker recruited him to the company team, but now he participates for a much more personal reason. His father has fought and won three battles with lung cancer, and his good friend recently had a double lung transplant.

Three years ago, his father, Carter Martin, Sr., was diagnosed with lung cancer. Doctors treated him with chemotherapy and radiation, which shrunk the tumors. Not long after, he was diagnosed with lung cancer again, but continued to fight. Today, he is still victorious after three battles with the disease.

Not long after his father’s initial lung cancer diagnosis, Carter’s co-worker recruited him to join the company Fight For Air Climb team, so he decided to participate to honor his father’s fight against lung cancer.

“My first climb was a challenge, but I completed it. It gave me a sense of pride that I could do that and I really enjoyed the atmosphere,” he said.

Recently, Carter’s reason to climb got stronger. His good friend and local pastor, Robert Lyons, was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. Thankfully, a year ago, Rev. Lyons received a double lung transplant that saved his life.

“Thankfully, my dad and my friend are both doing great,” said Carter. “I really get into raising the funds and helping recruit other members to our team. When you have a connection to a cause like the American Lung Association, it makes it easy to support an event like the Fight For Air Climb.”

On February 1, Carter will participate in his fourth Fight For Air Climb at PNC Tower in Louisville. He will be part of the Semonin Steppers team, which has already recruited more than 50 team members this year. Last year, Semonin Steppers was the largest civilian team with more than 45 climbers.

The Fight For Air Climb, presented by Kindred Healthcare, invites individuals, families, groups of friends, corporate teams and first responders to race up the stairs of PNC Tower, a total of 38 floors, 768 steps. The event raises awareness for lung disease and lung cancer, raises money for life-saving research, and funds critical educational programs to help local children manage their asthma and free programs to help locals quit smoking. To learn more about the Fight For Air Climb at PNC Tower, visit FightForAirClimb.org/Louisville.