Team GovX Climbed 110 Flights of Stairs in Honor of 9/11’s Fallen Heroes

After a two-year hiatus, the San Diego 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb returned to the Hilton Bayfront, and GovX was there in force.

By Brent Hannify | September 12, 2022

On the weekend of the anniversary of the attacks of September 11, a handful of GovX employees sweated through every stitch of clothing they wore at the San Diego 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, an annual event honoring the 403 fallen heroes of that day 21 years ago.

Alongside firefighters, first responders, police officers, families, and members of the local public, Team GovX ascended the Hilton Bayfront hotel three times, equaling 110 flights of stairs, the same number as were in the Twin Towers.

The event is always spectacularly well attended, with fire crews from across the country showing up honor the fallen. We met retired NYFD members, Port Authority personnel, veterans from all branches of the military, current and former firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and more.

It was exciting to see the event return to San Diego after two years of COVID-related delays. Once again getting the chance to climb alongside our friends with FirefighterAid, the nonprofit sponsoring the event, was a true privilege.

And man, did it get sweaty. We’re emerging from the other end of a brutal heatwave here in San Diego, and the humidity was around to remind us that we still aren’t totally done with summer. By the end of the second trip up, Team GovX was drenched:

Not that we’re complaining. We’re not allowed to complain considering there were firefighters there in full turnout gear, some of whom carried Halligan bars, axes, and hoses. When all you’re wearing is athletic shorts and a t-shirt, you keep your griping to yourself as you pass a firefighter hauling 75 pounds of gear up the stairs.

Yeah, you go ahead and rest up, man. You’ve earned it.

The undisputed rockstars of the Stair Climb.

The stair climb is a totally unique experience. It has the motivational, endorphin-fueled feeling of a marathon, with the somber qualities of a memorial. As volunteers cheer you along, making sure the fans are blowing in the stairwell and offering cold water bottles to you as you pass, you’re constantly reminded with every step that you’re climbing in honor of a person who never came home that day. Someone who gave the ultimate sacrifice while determined to save as many lives as possible.

It’s a special day, and everyone on Team GovX was proud to be a part of it. We’d like to thank FirefighterAid and the San Diego Fire Relief Association for their continued support of the GovX community, and you can count on us to attend the climb next year.