ROTC cadets climb 2,100 steps at Daytona International Speedway to honor 9/11 first responders

Before sunrise, hundreds of future military officers gathered at Daytona International Speedway for a physically demanding tribute to the first responders who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.The cadets climbed 2,100 steps — representing the roughly 2,100 stairs firefighters and other first responders faced inside the World Trade Center as they raced upward to help those trapped inside.Twenty-five years after the attacks, the climb gave the cadets a chance to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.“It’s important for us to remember those who had fallen, remember our past and honor those who came before us,” said Jo Archbold with Army ROTC.Remembering Sept. 11For many of the cadets participating, Sept. 11 is a day they learned about rather than personally experienced.Lt. Col. Craig Matty said the attacks affected people in different ways, regardless of their age, profession or nationality.“Sept. 11 affected us all in very different ways,” Matty said