On the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, university groups climbed over 2,200 stairs to honor those who died in the aftermath of the attacks.
Every year, university groups climb 110 stories of stairs to honor the sacrifices made by first responders on Sept. 11, 2001. In honor of the 25th anniversary, the university men’s lacrosse team and university Army ROTC climbed the stairs of Ohio Stadium, the equivalent of 110 stories, to simulate the amount of stairs in the World Trade Center climbed by first responders.
Adam Stewart, the head men’s lacrosse coach, was a junior at Denison University at the time of the attacks. “I was sitting in [Denison’s] dining hall … when I watched the towers get hit in real time,” Stewart said.
“I remember a young lady screaming and jumping up from her table and sprinting out of the dining room or the dining hall because what I found out later was her dad worked in the second tower, and so when we talk about the never forget part, you know, that’s what I’ll never forget.”
Later that day, the women’s lacrosse and softball programs completed an alternative workout at Bernlohr Stadium. The teams participated in an “As Many Reps As Possible” workout (AMRAP). The workout consisted of 100 stair steps, 20 burpees, 30 sit-ups and 40 air squats. The workout lasted 41 minutes and 20 seconds, a time representing the number of first responders who died in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, according to Kara Concheck, the women’s lacrosse head coach. According to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, 441 first responders died on the day of the attacks.
Concheck was in fourth grade at the time of the attacks and was at the towers one week before it happened. “[My family and I] had breakfast in one of the towers in the Windows of the World Restaurant a week before,” Concheck said.
“I remember being pulled from school. My family said, ‘Hey, do you remember where we had breakfast last week?’ And we — because we had a family trip to New York City — they said those buildings were hit by a terrorist attack. I didn’t quite understand what that all entailed and what that meant.”
Twenty-five years later, Concheck is making sure that her team never forgets the sacrifices made.
“I have such respect and admiration for those who are able to, you know, put those uniforms on every day and understand that it means risking their lives for the greater good,” Concheck said. “I think that selflessness and that leadership is something that I’ve always wanted to carry on with every team that I’ve coached.”
Even though most current student athletes were not alive on the time of 9/11, the attacks still have a lasting effect on all of them.
Growing up in Chicago, sophomore lacrosse player Mia Cruz was told about firsthand experiences of 9/11 through her mother. “[My mom] was like, ‘Well, we didn’t know who was gonna be next after the second tower got hit’,” Cruz said. “Chicago being a major city, my mom was terrified. She always told me and my brothers that story.”
For senior lacrosse player Ian Zaletel, he remembers 9/11 as an example of our country’s strength. “I wasn’t even alive for 9/11, but something that I can always remember is that throughout my life and many others, there’s some kind of connection to it. No matter if you know somebody directly or if it’s indirect as well, to signify 9/11 is to show the strength of our country,” Zaletel said.
“We live, I think, in one of the greatest countries in the world, and to show that we all have each other’s backs, and to recognize that even under scrutiny — even under the enemy itself, evil — goodness always prevails. And in this case, during 9/11, goodness did prevail, and we became stronger because of it.”
