A dozen Red Deer Emergency Services workers participated in the 2009 World Police Fire Games in Vancouver recently, bringing home three gold medals and three bronze medals.
The event is held every two years and drew more than 10,500 competitors from around the world to compete in dozens of events.
Peter Barron raced to two gold medals in downhill mountain biking and dual slalom mountain biking events. Doug McCrea raced to a bronze medal in dual slaloms mountain biking.
Bernie Walker won gold in armwrestling, an event he has won in a previous games.
Damien LaGrange, competing in his first world police fire event, won two bronze medals in archery: one in field archery and one in target shooting.
Two notables finished just out of the medals. Glen Carritt ended up fourth in slalom waterskiing. Clare Kinney finished fourth in the women’s toughest competitor alive, which consists of a gruelling combination of events that include swimming, running, rope-climbing, obstacle course, bench press, javelin and shot put. Kinney also finished fourth in the doubles women’s toughest competitor alive event.
Brad Readman managed a fifth place finish in the 20-km individual time trial road cycling event despite breaking his collarbone in a fall in the first few kilometres of the event. He went on to compete the following day in the road race, finishing eighth.
Other local competitors included Steve Barahona and Dave Bain, both in ultimate firefighter competition; Luke Tweedale, sailing; Doug Robertson, Grouse Grind uphill trail run; and Keith Glover, golf.
Other local people who earned medals at the police fire games included Bernie Fuss, a Michener Centre firefighter who won two powerlifting gold medals; her husband Duane Fuss, a sheriff, who earned one powerlifting gold medal; and former Red Deer resident Travis Pereira, who won a bronze medal in powerlifting. Pereira is now a Calgary police officer.