Courtenay hosted the opening FireFit Championships last month, and local fighters pulled the cat out of the tree and then some!
The FireFit Championships tour the country yearly, putting firefighters from all over to the ultimate test of their skills.
In what’s commonly known as the “toughest two minutes in sports,” competitors fight their way through a gruelling series of challenges that mimic real-life situations.
From dragging 175-pound dummies to getting pin-point accuracy with a fire hose or scaling up a three-story tall obstacle course, the event is a thrill to participate in and witness.
An enthusiastically cheering crowd came to watch, and local competitors gave them something to yell about.
Around fifty firefighters from the USA, Yukon, Alberta, and BC competed, suited up in full work gear under the hot sun.
Courtenay’s deputy fire chief Jonathan Welsh was one of them, and he showed all the locals in the audience that they’re in very good hands when it comes to firefighting.
He’s been competing in the event for over 21 years and took home the silver medal in individual competitions.
“I finished second behind Jordan King from Edmonton, an excellent racer, and we were two competitors over 40 years old. It was good to represent the old guys,” Welsh told the Comox Valley Record.
You can watch them compete in the final here.
The next day Welsh used his experience and led the rest of the Courtenay Team, nicknamed the “Ropes and Hoses,” onto the podium as well.
They were third in the running, nabbing the bronze medal and placing just behind teams from Kamloops and Edmonton.
The event was a blazing success, and competitor and organizer Ian Robertson told the Comox Valley Record that the event let our city show off.
“People loved it. [Competitors and spectators] love coming to Courtenay. I would call this a glowing success.”For an overview of the competition’s results and more info about future events, you can check out the website at firefit.com.
