Neil Testa

Friends,

On March 14, 2026, I’ll be taking on a meaningful challenge — a Spartan Race at Citi Field, alongside my son, Troy.

For a long time, I put my own fitness on the back burner. Life got busy, priorities shifted, and I focused on taking care of everyone else. Over the past year, though, I’ve started finding my way back — and doing that alongside my son has made it even more powerful. Training together, pushing each other, and sharing something he loves has brought us closer in ways I didn’t expect. It’s become time together that feels grounding, intentional, and really special.

But this race is about more than fitness.

When I was 18 years old, I was away at Springfield College, on the wrestling team and struggling to acclimate to being away from friends and family for the first time. On the morning of September 11, 2001, I woke up for class, turned on the TV, and quickly realized what I was seeing wasn’t a movie. It was real.

This was especially a jarring moment, as my dad worked at the World Trade Center as a U.S. Customs Agent. I remember calling my mom, trying to understand what was happening, not knowing if my dad was safe. We wouldn’t know until later that day.

That moment became a turning point in my life. It reshaped how I saw family, priorities, and the fragility of everyday moments we often take for granted.

By the grace of God, my dad survived. So many others did not.

In the years that followed, the impact of 9/11 continued to ripple through our lives. My brother-in-law served in the U.S. Marines in Iraq and in Afghanistan with the Army National Guard. His service, and the sacrifices made by military families, are powerful reminders that the effects of 9/11 did not end on that day in 2001. 

Because of the courage and selflessness of first responders, service members, and their families, countless lives have been protected and forever changed. Their sacrifices deserve more than remembrance. They deserve action. 

This race is my way of honoring that.

Now, 25 years later, I get to take on this challenge alongside my son — showing up and pushing ourselves together, and honoring those who ran toward danger so others could run toward safety.

We are running in support of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which provides critical support to the families of fallen and injured first responders and military heroes.

I am deeply grateful for the life I’ve been given, the family I get to raise, and the opportunity to turn gratitude into action.

If you feel moved to support this journey, I would be truly thankful for a donation or even a message of encouragement. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps carry this mission forward.

All donations are secure, tax-deductible, and go directly to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Thank you for standing with us.

Thank you for remembering.

And thank you for helping us honor true heroes.