A Patchogue-Medford phys ed teacher has inspired kids of all ages across the district to join a workout challenge honoring the heroes and those who sacrificed on Sept. 11.
“It was 110 stories of the Twin Towers that the firemen went up and down, so we decided to do 1,100 steps on the bleachers to kind of bring awareness to what the firemen climbed at that time,” Oregon Middle School gym teacher Trish Shea told The Post.
“We have stations set up for 343 jumping jacks, and that will be for the FDNY service members that were lost. Then we are going to do 37 situps, and those will be for the Port Authority police officers who were lost, and then, finally, 23 pushups for the 23 NYPD officers who were lost.”
Elementary kids will do the challenge with modified numbers, while middle schoolers and high schoolers have taken on its entirety over three days from Thursday through Monday.
“I hope that my delivery really resonates with them. These firemen were dressed in full gear. It’s going to be hot tomorrow simply standing in the gym,” Shea said.
“These guys were in burning buildings, so we’re hoping that flips a switch and students really give it their all.”
Like many Long Islanders and New Yorkers, the terror attacks of Sept. 11 hit home for Shea, whose brother was an NYPD officer at the time. Her father was a retired officer, and her husband is active in the Suffolk County Police Department after serving in the Marines in 2001.
That’s in addition to four brothers-in-law who also served in either the Marines or the Navy.
The school district was all in when she pitched the workout.
“Twenty-five years have passed in the blink of an eye. It’s incredible,” 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.”
