ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County Fire Rescue is preparing to mark 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks through a demanding workout centered around the number 343.
The annual 343 Hero Challenge is a firefighter-themed fitness competition honoring the 343 firefighters and other first responders who died while trying to save others on 9/11.
Firefighters and community members participate in high-intensity exercises that reflect some of the physical demands firefighters face. During parts of the competition, participants wear helmets and air packs while carrying hoses.
The workout begins with 343 step-ups, representing the number of firefighters who died. Participants receive one minute and 17 seconds of rest before moving on to exercises including shoulder presses, deadlifts, power cleans and 43 over-the-shoulder ball tosses.
Firefighter Marlon Moye-Moore said the step-ups represent firefighters climbing stairs. The ball tosses represent picking up and rescuing a victim, while the other exercises reflect tasks such as moving ladders, lifting victims, and advancing hose lines through buildings.
This is the 12th year of the challenge. Moye-Moore said it started with about 20 competitors and has grown to about 200.
“It really does something to me that they gave their lives. I can come out and just give all I can in a workout just to pay homage to their ultimate sacrifice,” Moye-Moore said.
For Battalion Chief of Safety and Wellness Kevin Nazario, the event also carries a personal meaning. Nazario was about 13 years old and living in the Bronx when the attacks happened.
“We had a straight shot view of the skyline of New York. So I got to watch firsthand the smoke coming out of the towers and all the fire engines racing by,” Nazario said.
He remembers visiting a nearby firehouse after 9/11 and seeing community members arrive with flowers and baskets for firefighters who lost their lives. He said that experience strengthened his desire to become a firefighter.
“At that point, I had wanted to be a firefighter already, but it just added to that, that passion,” Nazario said.
Nazario said Orange County Fire Rescue continues honoring those firefighters by displaying their pictures and the number 343. The department also shares their stories with younger firefighters and trains for high-rise operations and large-scale events.
The challenge also allows community members to experience some of the tasks firefighters perform and see how they prepare to protect the community.
Proceeds from the event will go to Runway to Hope and the Firefighters Charity of Central Florida.
The 343 Hero Challenge will take place Saturday, Sept. 19. People can find registration information by searching for the 343 Hero’s Challenge online or visiting the event’s Instagram page.
The competition includes divisions for men, women and coed teams, and organizers say people of all fitness levels can participate.