COLUMBIA — Thursday marks 24 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

People in Columbia walked into Crunch Fitness Thursday to honor the firefighters who risked their lives climbing up the stairs of the World Trade Center.

The challenge was to climb 110 flights of stairs on the Stairmaster. That's around 2,000 steps.

Connor Niles, a St. Louis firefighter, joined the challenge with a 35-pound backpack on his back.

Niles took over 2,000 steps to honor the firefighters who died 24 years ago and to continue to honor firefighters who have died since then.

"We lose over 100 firefighters a year from line-of-duty deaths, and then over 100 more from mental health issues," Niles said. "So it's just a day to be on the stairs and think about all of t

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