Finding Heroes on the 'Ride for 9-11'

, a paramedic firefighter at in Pacific Palisades, is cycling for "Ride for 9-11," a 3,300-mile journey to New York City in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. He is being joined by five other Southern California firefighters.

We caught up with Ostrovsky in Shanksville, PA, an hour after he and the team had visited the United Airlines Flight 93 crash site. Flight 93 went down in a field near Shanksville on Sept. 11, 2001. It is suspected that the intended target of the hijacked flight was the U.S. Capitol, but passengers brought the plane down. Being that this stop was the first 9/11 memorial that the firefighters had visited along their cross-country journey, Ostrovsky said it brought a sense of gravity and reality to their ride.

Aug. 21: Day 29

The team took a rest day in St. Louis.

Aug. 22-23: Days 30-31

Ostrovsky said it took a few days of cycling to get to Springfield, IL, but when the riders arrived they received quite a welcome. The mayor of Springfield, Mike Houston, greeted the firefighters and declared Aug. 23, 2011, "Ride 9-11 Day" in the city, said Ostrovsky. The team was also presented with the key to the city, he added.

The firefighters cycled through the town during their visit, passing by Abraham Lincoln's home.

"There's so much history" there, said Ostrovsky.

Aug. 24-25: Days 32-33

Ostrovsky said they were escorted by fire departments from small municipalities for about 100 miles into Chicago. Where one fire department left them, another would continue on as their guide.

When the Ride for 9-11 firefighters arrived in Chicago, they had a very short time to shower, change and get to a fundraiser at Emmit's Irish Pub, said Ostrovsky. The team showered at a health club around the corner and walked straight into Emmit's, which is famous for being featured in the film Backdraft, he said.

Although the fundraiser went really well, Ostrovsky said it was a very long day. He said the firefighters began cycling at 5:30 a.m. and didn't go to bed until after 1:30 a.m. the next day.

"What a cool city," Ostrovsky said about Chicago. "I wish we could see more, but we were so tired when we got in."

Aug. 26-27: Days 34-35

The team took a good rest in Chicago to gear up for a ride through Indiana.

Aug. 28: Day 36

The ride from Chicago to Elkhart, IN, was special for Ostrovsky. He said his son had been working on a film in the area, so the two of them were able to ride the 110 miles together from Chicago to Elkhart.

"I hadn't seen him in three months, so it was great to catch up," said Ostrovsky.

Aug. 29: Day 37

Ostrovsky said after riding 136 miles from Elkhart, IN, to Toledo, OH, residents of the town had many activities planned for the Ride for 9-11 crew members. He said they went to a Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball game. The place was packed, he said.

"They probably had more people there than at Dodger Stadium," said Ostrovsky. "I couldn't believe it!"

The Ride for 9-11 firefighters were introduced to the crowd and stood out on the field during the national anthem, Ostrovsky said.

However, one of the highlights of their trip to Toledo, said Ostrovsky, was when they woke up, bright and early, the next day to hit the road. He said they had stayed at a local firehouse and the crew woke up and had breakfast waiting for the Ride for 9-11 team.

"It's so cool that everyone is helping us out," said Ostrovsky. "Just doing what they can means a lot."

Aug. 30: Day 38

The last 20 miles from Toledo to Kent, OH, was part of the trip Ostrovsky said he won't forget. One of the firefighters, Adam Loser, is from Kent, but left when he was 18 to be a firefighter in Southern California.

Loser now lives in Fullerton with his family, but he hadn't been back to Kent in at least 10 years, Ostrovsky explained. So, when Loser called a friend to tell him they'd be passing through, word spread fast. Ostrovsky said from Akron, OH, to Kent, people lined the streets, waving flags and cheering them on.

When the team finally arrived in Kent, Ostrovsky said they were met with fire trucks and bagpipers. On the main street, 2,000 people cheered them on. 

Aug. 31: Day 39

The Ride for 9-11 crew members were greeted by the local fire department and police as they entered the Pittsburgh area. Fire and police vehicles met the riders about 40 miles outside of the city and led them in, said Ostrovsky. He noted the city had many hills, bridges and trees, a terrain he wasn't expecting.

"I've never seen so many bridges in my life," said Ostrovsky. "You'd look down the river and you'd see bridges as far as the eye could see."

Sept. 1-2: Day 40-41

The firefighters took much-needed rest days in Pittsburgh.

Sept. 3: Day 42

Patch got the chance to chat with Ostrovsky after they had made their way from Pittsburgh to Shanksville, PA. The team was staying at a youth camp that had been vacated for the season. He said that it was a great place right in the middle of the forest, complete with bunk beds!

The team was able to ride through the United Flight 93 crash site and arrived at the temporary memorial. Ostrovsky said the official memorial won't be open until Sept. 11, but the cyclists could look over the area and reflect with other visitors.

Ostrovsky said it was an emotional moment for him. He and his fellow riders just sat down and tried to visualize the heroism and the fear of being on that plane, he recalled.

"Here they were, just flying home and then suddenly you're called upon to do something," said Ostrovsky. "Just to think about that and what they went through … and those moments when they realized they were going to die."

Ostrovsky said it took the action of a few to save thousands. If that plane made it to its intended target, who knows how many lives would have been lost, he added.

"They sacrificed themselves," said Ostrovsky. "You have the opportunity to act, or not. They opted to go as heroes."

The firefighters spent some time reading the nearly 10-year-old transcripts from the cellphone calls made from Flight 93. Ostrovsky said they were heartbreaking.

"What do you say to your husband, or wife, or kids when you know you're going to die?" asked Ostrovsky. "These were real people."

Ostrovsky said that the message the riders want to send—that the nation will never forget—is becoming more and more real. He said he just wants people to stop and think about what happened 10 years ago, and to think about what they would do, or how they would act. After all, Ostrovsky said, heroism doesn't always come by way of big acts of courage; heroes are born out of the things that we do every day.

"When I go out on a call, and I'm sitting there in the ambulance with a patient, sometimes all they need is for someone to hold their hand," said Ostrovsky.

Ostrovsky added that someone at the crash site shared a quote with him, by Harriet Beecher Stowe that reads, "The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone." He said that message will stick with him.

"We all have the opportunity to tell our friends and family that we love them. And when people need help, be there," said Ostrovsky. "Always let each other know how you feel."

Not only is that advice Ostrovsky might give to a friend, it's a mantra he is taking on himself. He said this trip has made him appreciate his wife even more. 

"I feel good about what we're doing," said Ostrovsky. "It just kind of feels like the right thing to be doing at this point in our lives."

Ride for 9-11 is also an effort to raise money for The Leary Firefighters Foundation and The Wounded Warrior Project. The Leary Firefighters Foundation, founded by actor Dennis Leary, provides funds and resources to fire departments nationwide. The Wounded Warrior Project provides support to wounded veterans as they work toward recovery.

• For Days 1-5 of the Ride for 9-11 trip, click here.
• For Days 6-11 of the Ride for 9-11 trip, click here.
• For Days 11-18 of the Ride for 9-11 trip, click here.
• For Days 19-28 of the Ride for 9-11 trip,
• For video from Ostrovsky on the road, click here.
• For up-to-date information check out the Ride for 9-11 blog page. Click here to get linked up.
• For the Ride for 9-11 website, click here.
• For The Leary Firefighters Foundation website, click here.
• For The Wounded Warriors website, click here.

This article originally ran on .