This story of a firefighter climbing stairs at a gym in honour of his fallen colleagues is touching

He climbed 110 stories, the same as the World Trade Centre

Lezlie Bauler works at a gym in Maryville, Tennessee. Yesterday, on the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a firefighter came in by himself with a special request.

"This man asked if it was okay for him to climb 110 sets, fully suited, of stairs in honor of his fallen brothers and sisters for 9-11, " Lezlie wrote on Facebook.

She replied:

"Yes sir, you can."

Lezlie Bauler/Facebook

Lezlie thanked the man for his service, saying:

"I am not one to get emotional, but a few tears were shed."

Stair climbs have become a way for firefighters to commemorate their colleagues who died in the attacks and raise money for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Usually done in teams, each participant walks or climbs the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Centre.

Of the 2,977 victims killed in the September 11 attacks, 411 were emergency workers, including 342 firefighters.

The photo of the solitary man making the climb seems to have stuck a chord, with over 135,000 people sharing it on Facebook alone, as well as hundreds of comments of support.