40 Under 40 alumni take the plunge for charity
Even a tornado warning couldn’t stop four leading entrepreneurs from abseiling 70m down an Adelaide building to raise money for a good cause.
Sixty brave South Australians took to the skies – and then down the walls – of the InterContinental Adelaide this year for the annual Adelaide City Plunge, raising vital funds for South Australian charities.
Across two adrenaline-filled days, participants leaned back over the edge of the 20-storey hotel and abseiled down its 70m sheer façade, all in the name of supporting groundbreaking research and patient care. Each participant committed to a personal fundraising goal of $850, or $3,400 for a team, with money raised going towards a wide range of charitable organisations.
Among the plungers were four InDaily 40 Under 40 alumni – Matt Kirkbride, Elena Kirschbaum, Matt Warner and Oliver Brown. The team joined forces to raise funds for medical research through the Flinders Foundation
Kirkbride, executive director of Connekt Plumbing, admitted the challenge tested his nerves as much as his balance.
“It was a little bit nervy standing at the top,” he said. “I’ve done bungee jumping and skydiving before, but this was different.
“Bungee was really hard because you have to step off yourself, and skydiving felt a bit easier because you’re so far away from the ground. But this – looking down 20 storeys in the middle of Adelaide – definitely got the anxiety going.”
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Kirkbride started Connekt Plumbing in 2015, building it into a thriving company with nearly 70 staff and a turnover close to $15 million. Taking on the plunge was both a personal test and a way of giving back through his industry networks.
“I just feel the Flinders Foundation is a good cause,” he said. “They don’t just focus on one area but on medical research across a number of fields. In construction we deal with lots of suppliers and clients, and I thought people would be keen to give back to something like that.”
He adopted a simple strategy to overcome the nerves. “I thought, once I get there and back onto the thing, I’ll just abseil off and focus on the person in front of me. And that’s pretty much how it played out. Once I got over the edge, I enjoyed it – and it’s not every day you get that sort of view of Adelaide.”
His efforts paid off financially too. While the minimum donation target was $850, Kirkbride’s target quickly grew and currently sits at $2,445. “I thought maybe I’d get to $1,500 or $2,000, but a couple of big donations came through,” he said. “The support was fantastic.”
For Kirschbaum, co-director of Gluttony – the biggest hub at the Adelaide Fringe – the plunge was a chance to combine her love of adventure with meaningful contribution.
“I love that stuff,” she said. “When I’m travelling, I always look for whatever mad adventure is in the area. I’ve done some abseiling before, but that was by far my highest jump.
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“To be part of something that wasn’t just for thrills but was also a significant fundraising event with so much community input – that was really special.”
Kirschbaum almost didn’t get the chance. On the morning of her plunge, she woke to a tornado warning alert on her phone.
“I thought, well, obviously they’re cancelling it,” she said. “But, in the end the rain stopped, the sun came out and it was glorious. Halfway down, I made a point of stopping and looking out over the river, Elder Park and the Oval. To take in that view was just incredible.”
Like many participants, Kirschbaum’s motivation was deeply personal.
“I’ve got a few people very close to me who’ve gone through some full-on medical issues over the last couple of years. Supporting medical research is so important because advancements in this space benefit people all over the world. That really appealed to me.”
While dangling off a skyscraper didn’t faze her, asking for donations did.
“I was more nervous about the fundraising than the jump,” she laughed. “But I made the $850 target, and I’m so appreciative to my community who contributed. It really meant a lot that people were willing to support me, but more importantly, the cause.”
In total, the Flinders Foundation alumni team has raised more than $5,062 so far – well beyond their group target – helping ensure researchers and clinicians have the tools and resources they need to improve lives.
For Kirkbride, the takeaway was simple: “Just donate something, even if it’s really small. Even if you don’t know someone going through health issues now, it might be you or a family member one day. All this money goes to a really good cause.”
This year, the Adelaide City Plunge proved again that, when courage meets community, the results are both thrilling and life-changing. And there’s still time to be part of it – donations remain open until this Friday, September 12, giving South Australians the chance to make a difference and help fuel vital medical research for years to come.
