Mr Brent (24), an Auckland-based lawyer, is taking a break from his desk job to scale the equivalent 3033m height of the mountain by climbing the stairs of Auckland's Sky Tower 16 times. His efforts are to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Research Trust (BCRT) in support of his mother and other New Zealand women living with the disease.
Mr Brent climbed the real Mt Aspiring in April 2010, just before his mother was diagnosed with cancer. She climbed the mountain in 2009 and will attempt one ascent of the Sky Tower today. Her husband, Dave, who has climbed Mt Aspiring seven times, is aiming for between six and eight ascents alongside his son. Monty Betham, BCRT ambassadors Shane Cortese, Jaquie Brown and Geeling Ng and other family and friends will also join the challenge.
Mrs Brent has been "totally overwhelmed" by the support from her children - her eldest son organised a charity ball in Melbourne - since her cancer diagnosis.
"Allan came up with this [Sky Tower] idea because I had said when I was diagnosed, 'I'm going to climb Aspiring again and I'd like you guys to come with me'," she said. "It's a very special place for us."
However, cancer treatment, operations and nerve-damaged feet from chemotherapy had made the climb "more of a distant goal".
"So one ascent of the Sky Tower is going to be just enough for me."
Mrs Brent still has Mt Aspiring firmly on her horizon, though.
"I could do 17 steps in February and now I can do over 1100."
