A firefighter honored 9/11 first responders on Sunday by climbing 110 sets of stairs at a Planet Fitness in Tennessee.

Jason Harding was unable to attend the annual Memorial Stair Climb in Nashville. Instead, he entered the gym in full uniform and asked a Planet Fitness employee if he could use the stair machine to pay respects to those who lost their lives following the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.

Lezlie Bauler respectfully agreed, snapping a photo that has since gone viral, using Facebook to share the moment with the world and thank Harding for his service.

Harding has since expressed his own gratitude toward those who have shown their support and appreciation since the photo was posted.

Sunday marked the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Over 400 first responders were killed, and 2,000 were injured on that day alone. Many more have since been diagnosed with or suffered deadly illnesses directly related to their 9/11 service. Even more are still at high risk for developing serious illnesses later on in their lives.

Since 2005, annual Memorial Stair Climbs have taken place all across the country to honor FDNY firefighters who gave their lives saving others. Every step counts. Never forget.

MP’s Take: The gym means something different for everyone who walks through those doors. That meaning can change in a second. Always treat everyone you meet at your local gym with respect. Whether it’s obvious or not, their time on that machine or with those weights might mean something truly powerful. It’s not very often someone is going to walk into Planet Fitness with such a powerful motivation, but it can happen. Encourage all your fitness pals, whether you know them personally or not. You don’t know their stories. But you can still show them the gym is a safe place for everybody.

Sources

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/09/12/firefighter-climbs-stair-machine-honor-911-first-responders/90253532/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/11/911-first-responders_n_5797398.html