A little over a year ago, I decided to finally get serious about taking better care of myself. Not in a “new year, new me” way, but in a sustainable, realistic way I could actually stick with.
To keep things fun, I came up with a challenge: I’d “climb” the tallest building in every state on the StairMaster, starting with the shortest and working my way up to the tallest. The goal was to finish with all 108 floors of the Willis Tower.
Along the way, life had other plans. I had a pretty major health episode and ended up losing my gallbladder, which knocked me out of commission for a bit and pushed my finish line back. But I kept showing up to the gym when I could, got back into it, and this week I finally finished the full climb of Willis Tower via the StairMaster.
Somewhere near the end of all this, I thought, “It would be really cool to actually climb one of these buildings in person and not on the machine.”
That’s when I discovered the One World Trade Center Tower Climb benefiting the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, which supports first responders and their families.
So on June 7, 2026, I’ll be climbing all the stairs of One World Trade Center in NYC. From a StairMaster at Planet Fitness in Oxford to the real thing in New York.
What started as a personal fitness challenge turned into something way more meaningful.
I’ve set a modest fundraising goal, and every dollar truly helps support an incredible cause that honors service and sacrifice.
If you’re able and feel moved to contribute, I’d be incredibly grateful. And if nothing else, thanks for cheering me on through this whole journey.
