NORWOOD, N.J—Park Ridge Volunteer Firefighter Michael Bruno is unstoppable, last week mounting another equivalent 110 flights of stairs on his second annual Sept. 11 tribute.
He did it in full gear this year, adding his facemask, airpack, and gloves to the gear he wore last year, helmet and all.
It took him approximately an hour and 10 minutes, and he estimates he burned 350–400 calories, “just from all the sweat and everything.”
Asked what the effort was like mentally, the former Park Ridge High School football and lacrosse player told Pascack Press, “After 15–20 minutes it’s the tiredness that you go through, and then you start to realize all the stuff that the men and women did on 9/11 going up and down the stairs.”
He said, “It’s like, ‘All right, if they can do it and they risked their lives I can do it to honor them.’”
In a video that’s garnered more than 584,000 likes on Instagram in the few days since it was posted, Bruno, 20, is seen implacably hiking up a stair-stepper at his gym, Impact Zone in Norwood, this Sept. 11, the 19th anniversary of the world-changing attack.
Bruno, who also works at the gym, in maintenance—keeping the facility particularly spotless in this time of covid—says he climbs to honor the firefighters who served at the 110-story World Trade Center.
The video, shot by gym owner Dave Paladino, was picked up by ESPN’s flagship show “SportsCenter” and went viral. Viewer comments include, “The machines are harder than real stairs too, mad respect,” and “The most respect that I could possibly afford to someone goes to this man.”
Bruno told Pascack Press he comes from a service-minded family, with relatives in public safety and the military going way back. His father and a grandfather were firefighters in their towns.
Serving in the Park Ridge Volunteer Fire Department with his older brothers Matt and Chris, Bruno said he joined the department at 14 and is happy to give back to the community.
He said he was inspired to take to the stair stepper in gear by the example of the heroes of 9/11 and in subsequent viral tributes by other firefighters.
“I normally do stairclimbing, but not in my everyday workout routine. It’s a hell of a workout,” he said.
Asked for comment, gym owner Paladino told Pascack Press, “This is the second year I’ve seen him do it, and it’s an incredible tribute to the memory of the men and women—all the first responders. The fire department is near and dear to his heart, it’s just an incredible tribute. He’s a really good kid.”
He added, “I don’t know if you’ve ever been on it, but the stepper is a torture chamber even without any gear on. It’s a pleasure to have a young man like that in our facility, who is that caring not only as an employee but as a person. We’re pretty fortunate.”