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Push-ups for first responders
Nate Carroll did thousands of push-ups every day for a year to honor first responders and also raise money for charity.
NEW YORK - Nate Carroll completed his 1,500,231st push-up at the 50-yard line of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, recently to set the world record for most push-ups done in a year. He told FOX 5 NY his hard work, dedication, and persistence is an ode to the nation's first responders.
"These men and women are willing to put their safety and their lives on the line for us," he said. "I think to honor them and to take care of those families if ultimately they paid the ultimate sacrifice, it's a small price to pay."
Carroll's journey began on June 14, 2020, when he partnered with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to raise money for its Fallen First Responder Home Program. The New York-based nonprofit builds mortgage-free smart homes for injured veterans, first responders, and also for the families of first responders who are killed in the line of duty.
"I had to average 4,111 push-ups every day for 365 days," Carroll said. "It's a lot but I always kept in mind that any stress, any discomfort, any inconvenience that I was experiencing as a result of getting up every day at 3:45 to knock out my sets of push-ups is small in comparison to what those first responders go through every day keeping us safe."
The Wisconsin father of three also has a personal connection to his mission. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve for seven years and his two sisters are police officers.
"I just think it's important that we take a moment to recognize the service that they do for us and their ability to put themselves in between us and danger at a moment's notice," Carroll said.
Carroll passed the world record on June 6 but his challenge didn't conclude on the football field. His final total, completed on June 13, was an astounding 1,506,911 push-ups to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks.
"The push-ups — it's a special number," he said. "It was meaningful to me, but the real important number was the money we raised for the foundation."
Carroll has raised more than $40,000 for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. He said others can help by simply paying it forward with gratitude.
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