Oregon Middle School gym teacher Trish Shea built a multi-day workout challenge for Patchogue-Medford students to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, running Thursday through Monday.

The challenge ties each exercise to a group who served or died that day. Students climb 1,100 steps on the bleachers, representing the 110 stories firefighters climbed inside the World Trade Center towers. They do 343 jumping jacks for the FDNY members lost, 37 situps for the Port Authority police officers lost, and 23 pushups for the 23 NYPD officers lost.

Scaled by age

Elementary students take on a modified version of the challenge, while middle and high schoolers complete it in full over the three days.

"I hope that my delivery really resonates with them," Shea said. "These firemen were dressed in full gear. It's going to be hot tomorrow simply standing in the gym. These guys were in burning buildings, so we're hoping that flips a switch and students really give it their all."

A family connection

Sept. 11 hit close to home for Shea. Her brother was an NYPD officer at the time of the attacks, her father is a retired officer, and her husband serves with the Suffolk County Police Department after serving in the Marines in 2001. Four brothers-in-law also served in the Marines or Navy.

"Twenty-five years have passed in the blink of an eye," Shea said. "As a district, we wanted to kind of honor everybody who was part of 9/11 and their service, and those who were lost."

Read the original story at the New York Post →