In valor there is hope: why we've done a Hero WOD every weekend for nearly ten years — and why 9/11 is one Tribute WOD we never miss
CrossFit Una Stamus · September 2026 · 5 min read
Most of us remember exactly where we were on the morning of September 11, 2001.
It's burned into the memory of everyone old enough to have watched it unfold. And in the years since, our whole country has searched for ways to make sure we never forget — the nearly 3,000 lives lost, and the extraordinary people who ran toward the danger when everyone else was running away.
At CrossFit Una Stamus, we've found our own way to honor them, and heroes like them. And we don't just do it once a year. We do it every single weekend.
A Hero WOD every weekend for almost ten years
Since the weekend we opened Una Stamus nearly a decade ago, we've done a Hero WOD every single Saturday. Every one. Without exception.
If you're new to CrossFit, here's what that means. A “Hero WOD” is a workout named for a member of the military, law enforcement, or fire service who died in the line of duty. They're built to be genuinely hard — because they're meant to reflect, in some small way, the sacrifice of the person they honor. When you take on a Hero WOD, the difficulty isn't the point. The remembrance is.
Over the years, our Una Stamus family has honored heroes from our own country and beyond. Fallen police officers, firefighters, soldiers, and federal agents — people we never met, whose names we say out loud and whose stories we tell before we pick up the barbell.
People like Pierce County Deputy and Navy veteran Daniel McCartney. Firefighter Eric Morison. USMC Sergeant Major and LAPD officer Robert J. Cottle. FBI Special Agent Laura Schwartzbauer, who gave her life trying to protect people she would never even meet. FDNY firefighter Patrick Brady. Even a fallen Canadian officer, because our CrossFit family truly is worldwide. And so, so many more. Ten years, every weekend. That’s a lot of fallen heroes. And we mean to honor their names every single weekend.
Every weekend, a new name. Every name, a life worth remembering.
In valor there is hope. That's why we pick up the barbell — not in sadness, but in gratitude, for the people who ran toward the fire so the rest of us could live.
Why our soldiers and first responders sit at the heart of it
There's a reason our soldiers, police officers, and firefighters show up again and again in the heroes we honor.
They live by a code any CrossFitter would recognize instantly: show up, do the hard thing, and never leave someone behind. It's the same code our name is built on. Una Stamus — Together We Stand.
The men and women who serve in our military, in our fire departments, and in our police forces don't get to wait until they feel motivated. They don't get to skip the hard days. When the call comes, they go — into the fire, into the danger, into the situations the rest of us are running from. Some of them, like the ones we honor each weekend, don't come home. And still, others keep answering the same call, every single day, in cities and small towns alike — including right here in OUR communities. Elk River. Big Lake. Becker. Zimmerman. Princeton. Anoka. Ramsey. St. Michael. Albertville. Otsego. Rogers. All of them.
One Tribute WOD we never miss: 9/11
Our 9/11 Tribute WOD is built so that every number carries meaning. Nothing about it is random — every rep is a life, a moment, a sacrifice:
THE 9/11 TRIBUTE — THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY
403 single-unders to start — for the 343 FDNY firefighters, 23 NYPD officers, and 37 Port Authority officers who gave their lives.
Then 9 rounds (for the month) of 11 reps (for the day) — box overs, shoulder-to-overheads, lateral burpees, and toes-to-bar. Four movements, for the four separate attacks: American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, and United Airlines Flight 93.
Then a 2001-meter row — for the year.
#NeverForget
Standing in front of that whiteboard, seeing the numbers laid out, is a different kind of warm-up. Because before anyone touches a barbell, they understand exactly who and what they're lifting for.
You don't have to be an athlete to take part
Here's something important: A tribute WOD isn't about being fit enough. It's about showing up.
Every one of these workouts scales to exactly where you are. You can do it as written, modify it, or break it into pieces and share the effort with a team — which is fitting, because on September 11th, everyone was working as a team. The point was never the performance. The point is the remembrance, and doing it shoulder to shoulder with people who care.
Whether you're a seasoned member, someone who hasn't worked out in years, or a first responder yourself — there's a place for you on the floor with us.
Come stand with us
As we have in years past, we will run our 9/11 Tribute WOD on September 11th. This year it’s a Friday, so we’ll run it in every Friday class time: 5am, 6am, 11am, 4:30pm. All are welcome – members and guests alike.
Twenty-plus years later, that morning still asks something of us. Not just to feel sad, but to remember — actively, physically, together. That's what the barbell gives us: a way to turn remembrance into something we do with our bodies and our community, side by side.
This September 11th, come pick up the barbell with us. And help us make sure they are never forgotten.
In valor there is hope. Una Stamus — Together We Stand.
Join us this September 11th. All are welcome, no experience required. To take part or learn more, reach out at crossfitunastamus.com
