Queenstown fireys set some blistering pace in Wellington last weekend, during the National Firefighter Championship Series.
Organised by the United Fire Brigades Association of New Zealand, the challenge is described as the "toughest two minutes in sport", during which fireys have to race against the clock while wearing full bunker gear and breathing apparatus to complete five tasks, including climbing a six-storey tower while carrying a 19kg hose and dragging a life-sized dummy 30.5 metres.
Claire Jones, who again competed in the World Firefighter Challenge in the United States last year, finished second overall in the open female category last weekend in a time of 2min 30.84sec, while Aoife Sheehan-Dunne came in 16th in 4min 39.19sec — the women’s winner, Jodi Reymer (Pirongia), recorded 2min 12.65sec.
In the open male category, fellow Queenstowner Sam Stafford-Bush was the top finisher in the brigade, coming in 8th place in 1min 44.89sec — the overall winner, Aidan Grant, of Ohakea RNZAF Base Fire Brigade, completed the challenge in a blistering 1min 24.50sec, which broke the NZ record.
Lee Winter came in 10th in 1min 46.45sec, Jesse Johnson was 24th (2min 03.75sec), and Aaron Murphy finished 8th in his over-50 age group and 48th overall in 2min 22.40sec, while Julien Facci registered a DNF.
In the teams events, Queenstown’s ‘Italian Bulldogs’ came 7th, in 1min 33.55sec, and ‘Double Points’ finished 12th in 1min 48sec. And in the relay final, ‘Terry’s Favourites’ came fourth in 1min 22.50sec.
