Fire lieutenant finishes 9/11 stair climb
Firefighter Tim Deluhery Jr., of Prairie du Chien, experienced the physicality and emotions of the 9/11 stair climb at Lambeau Field for the first time last Friday.
By Correne Martin
Tim Deluhery Jr., a lieutenant on the Prairie du Chien Fire Department, climbed the equivalent of 110 Twin Tower stories last Saturday, Sept. 11, in honor of the 343 New York City firefighters who perished during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The 34-year-old was one of over 3,000 participants—a mix of firefighters and civilians—who joined in the ninth annual 9/11 stair climb at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Some of the firefighters who made the climb, like Deluhery, wore full gear, while others were in just coats and pants.
This was his first time experiencing the challenge, and he already wants to do it again.
That’s not because he came home with any plaques saying he completed the climb. Instead, he said he took away “the feelings of doing a little something to show support for my country and the heroes of 9/11/01.”
“It was one of the most memorable experiences ever,” Deluhery said.
“I wanted to do it because of the symbolic meaning of being a firefighter and U.S. citizen,” he shared. “It was an extremely memorable moment being at Lambeau and climbing for those heroes. I always listen to a YouTube video of Orio Palmer, a FDNY firefighter, one of many, many heroes that day. He was able to get to the 78th floor, where the plane hit.”
Deluhery said he knows there were a few other firefighters from the area who participated in the stair climb as well. He said he saw some from Fennimore and Platteville for certain.
For the past four or five years, Deluhery also was involved with a stair climber challenge at Anytime Fitness in Prairie du Chien. They donate money to local first responders through the pledges collected by the climbers.
