When John Liebfred runs into a burning building—dragging a heavy water hose behind him through smoke and fire—he knows how important it is to remain physically fit.
John Liebfred, left, works with a student in Tanya Hewitt's Intro to Exercise Science class.
“With 30 years of service, I’m still one of the first guys through the door. And at 51 years old, I really need to start worrying about heart health,” Liebfred said, a veteran firefighter with the Parishville Volunteer Fire Department. “When the tones drop and we go to work, it’s strenuous and you really can’t just sit around on the couch for 29 days of the month—because then that one time you have to go to work, you’re just asking for a heart attack.”
That’s where Karissa Donnelly ’26 and more than two dozen students from SUNY Potsdam’s exercise science program step in. After months of preparation and research during the Spring 2025 semester, students in Tanya Hewitt’s Introduction to Exercise Science class hosted an interactive Strength Training and Mobility Workshop for local firefighters at Maxcy Hall.
“We’ve been analyzing the movements of firefighters in the field to make a workout plan for them. We did all the workouts ourselves, so we knew how to teach them. It was really cool when we got to put it all together.
Karissa Donnelly ’26 demonstrates stretching techniques to a group of local firefighters.
A junior on the women’s softball team pursuing a degree in exercise science, Donnelly helped kick off the event by demonstrating effective stretching techniques, before the firefighters moved into SUNY Potsdam’s Fitness Center to work with the weights and cardio equipment. The students’ detailed plan, specifically catered to the firefighters, provided a five-day workout routine that focused on strength and mobility, cardiovascular endurance, strength and power, core and endurance, and functional circuit training.
"A lot of the exercises that the students led helped the firefighters develop back strength, stability, and also some mobility,” said Hewitt, who is also the chair of the Department of Public Health and Human Performance. “We know that cardiovascular injury is a key component to this, so, how do we train them to get up at 2 a.m., don 100 pounds of gear, go up and down ladders, and advance hoses, and carry victims? A lot of that is cardiovascular strength and mobility. The students did a research evaluation; they synthesized all the research and then presented it to each other.”
Tanya Hewitt observes her Intro to Exercise Science students as they lead a workshop for firefighters at Maxcy Hall.
Hewitt has been instrumental in developing SUNY Potsdam’s dynamic exercise science program, while continuing to think outside of the box and create interactive experiences for her students. The Strength Training and Mobility Workshop held at the end of the Spring 2025 semester for her Intro to Exercise Science students was one such case in point.
“We try to pick a project that integrates with the community, and it allows our students to have hands-on opportunities outside of the classroom with real people,” she said.
For Nick Cortez ’27, a sophomore exercise science major, the workshop allowed him to introduce the firefighters to endurance exercises like tire flips and rope slams, to improve their strength, stamina, and cardiovascular fitness. “Firefighters often carry heavy gear, break through obstacles, and work in high-stress situations for long periods. Those exercises will help improve their overall physical conditioning, boost muscular endurance, and train their bodies to handle real-life firefighting tasks more effectively and safely,” he said.
At the end of the event, the firefighters from the West Stockholm, Potsdam, and Parishville Fire Departments were given personalized fitness plans—meticulously prepared by the students—to help them meet the demands of the job. They also received a one-month membership to the Maxcy Hall Fitness Center to continue their training regimen on their own.
“The students were very well versed in what they were doing. It was a fantastic time and very informative,” Liebfred said. “This was a very valuable workshop for the longevity of my career, and to make sure I’m around for another 20 years to help grow the next generation of firefighters.”
Article and photos by Jason Hunter