Oxfordshire firefighters take on 9/11 memorial stair climb in Atlanta
The challenge will see firefighters tackle 110 floors in hot and humid conditions
Four Oxfordshire firefighters are taking on a 110-floor climb in the United States today in memory of those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.
Trudy Parker, Barney Neal and Conor Stacey have travelled to Atlanta to join firefighters from across the UK, Ireland and the United States for the memorial challenge.
Participants will be climbing at Truist Park baseball stadium wearing full firefighting kit.
Trudy Parker, an on-call firefighter in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, said this will make the challenge particularly tough.
She said: "The difficulty, more than anything, is that it doesn't release heat. It can keep you safe in 400 degrees, but it doesn't let heat out."
Temperatures in Atlanta are expected to be around 35°C, with the firefighters also having to contend with high humidity.
Rather than racing to finish, the group say their priority is completing the challenge safely and taking time to reflect on why they are there.
Trudy added: "This is all about just showing our respect and showing that we are there for the US firefighters.
"I hope everyone gets that chance to look back and just really soak it in and realise what we're doing here."
"It changed firefighting around the world"
Barney Neal, an on-call firefighter in Oxfordshire, said the events of that day continue to have a profound significance for the firefighting community.
He said: "Losing that many of us in one incident is unprecedented.
"We all wanted to do something to remember that, come across here and support a charity that directly helps US firefighters."
Trudy, who was nine years old at the time of the attacks, said their significance has become more personal during her decade working in the fire service.
She said: "I've always wanted to do something because you hear about it and then you sort of imagine yourself in that situation, or your friends in that situation.
"When this opportunity came up to come to America, I absolutely jumped at it."
Raising money for three charities
The challenge is supporting three organisations: The Fire Fighters Charity, the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund and the Blue Light Card Foundation.
Conor Stacey, a whole-time and on-call firefighter in Oxfordshire, has first-hand experience of the support offered by The Fire Fighters Charity.
He said: "I used them a couple of years back to get back to work from illness, so they helped me with my rehabilitation.
"They're also fantastic with mental health and they realise that firefighting has a toll on families as well."
The wider fundraising effort has a target of £60,000, with the money set to be shared between the three charities.
For Trudy, who has also been involved in setting up the trip, the start of the challenge marks the culmination of months of preparation.
She said: "I've seen the amount of effort and the amount of work and the amount of organisation that has gone into this.
"I'm super, super excited."