“Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.”
— William James
A few weeks ago, I decided to participate in the 850 Heroes 4 Heroes 9/11 stair climb. It sounded like something I wanted to be a part of — something I had never done before. I was not prepared emotionally or physically, but like many of us, when faced with something hard, we do it anyway.
I was overtaken with emotion when I arrived at the event and saw the helmets representing the fallen men and women. While I was walking 110 flights of stairs — up and down, at my own pace — these brave souls stormed into a burning building with heavy equipment, with one thing on their minds: saving lives without any thought of their own.
After the ceremony, we started the climb. My mood was somber and expectant, reminiscent of that day all those years ago. As for my fitness level, I had not one single doubt. In fact, I might even say I was a little cocky. But as I climbed the very first steps — I mean the very first flight — I was already breathless and my heart rate was elevated.
I quickly learned that if I was going to do this, it would not be at my normal all-out, crazy, pants-on-fire pace I’m used to.
I thought to myself, “How embarrassing.” All kinds of thoughts ran through my head, but I just kept talking to myself. In my heart I said, Karen, if you quit too soon, you will always quit.
Walking all around me, ahead and behind, were precious firemen and women decked out in full uniform — oxygen tanks and all. The air was still and humid, and I don’t know how in the world they did it. More than anyone, they felt a deep kinship with their fallen brothers and sisters and wanted to show their respect by climbing as their heroes had climbed before.
And I did it!!! There were moments I wasn’t sure if I would make it, but I did. I learned that maybe next time, I should practice climbing stairs before I climb stairs to that degree. 😂
But here’s what I was most proud of: I changed my pace. I took breaks along the way so that I could keep going until I reached my goal. I am not really good at “slow and steady,” but I realized that no one was keeping track of my time or what flight I was on. Each person was doing their own race, but every single one of us was full of, “You can do it! We can do it! Let’s do it!!!”
Have you noticed it’s easier to climb any mountain if you’re doing it with others in mind — and you are surrounded by people cheering you on? It is such a blessing to be a part of something bigger than yourself, to be reminded how grateful we are for the opportunity to climb — and to thank God for those who made the ultimate climb.
Please, my dear friend, if you have a big obstacle in front of you, take a deep breath. Keep going. Slow down if you must, but please — don’t quit! I’ll see you at the top. ❤️
