By: Trent Soares
Recently in August I had the amazing opportunity to visit New York City. It was quite an experience, especially for a boy from a little island on the Pacific Ocean. The culture shock was incredible seeing the mass amounts of people heading in one direction, filled with different ethnicities and languages. The food was amazing from bagels, to pizza, to dumplings, New York City has no shortage of bucket list-worthy eats. Although quite possibly the most powerful memory I have is visiting the 9-11 memorial.
The September 11 Memorial “is a tribute of remembrance and honor to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site. The Memorial’s twin reflecting pools are each nearly an acre in size and feature the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. (1)” Pictures don’t do this justice, it’s an absolute wonder to look at, breathtaking to say the least. Yes, there were times when I was overcome with sadness but more so times of pride and patriotism. That throughout this terrible event we could as a nation rebuild and stand as one.
Coming into the gym yesterday morning as I turned on the lights and set off the alarm I couldn’t help but feel the presence of the pools. It gave me a sense of honor to present the 9-11 tribute workout to the class. What I received yesterday from our members was extraordinary. Members, I want to take time in this blog to thank you. To the new members for trying out new movements, experienced members motivated to reach the prescribed weight. Each striving for excellence knowing that the workout was more than a workout. It was our chance to suffer for those that have sacrificed everything. Thank you for allowing me to bring that sense of pride that I received at ground zero, home to our gym in Reno.
1 “About the Memorial.” National September 11 Memorial & Museum, 12 Feb. 2005, www.911memorial.org/about-memorial.