Roane State paramedic graduate Jason Harding said he was “absolutely amazed at the response” to his 9/11 tribute. Early on the morning of Sept. 11, Harding strapped on 75 pounds of firefighter gear and climbed 110 stories on a stair climbing machine at the Maryville Planet Fitness. (Photo courtesy RSCC)
A public safety officer at McGhee Tyson Airport never dreamed his solitary, early-morning tribute on the anniversary of a national tragedy would gain so much attention.
Jason Harding’s unique way to observe the 15 anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks went viral on social media and caught the attention of national news outlets, from People magazine to Fox News.
Harding, who completed Roane State Community College’s paramedic program in September 2011, is a certified police officer, paramedic, and firefighter for the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority.
He went into Maryville’s Planet Fitness at 6 a.m. September 11, wearing 75 pounds of firefighting gear, and asked permission to use one of the gym’s stair climbing machines. [Read more…]
