The World Fire Figters Games

In 1998, Durban hosted the 5th World Fire Fighters Games and Westville played a significant role in the organising of the events and the hosting of international delegates. From this, we pledged to ensure that we would send representatives to the World Games wherever and whenever they were held. The result has been that we sent WFFA representatives to Paris in 2000, to Australia in 2002, to the UK in 2004 and then four of us to Hong Kong in 2006.

The World Fire Fighter Games are the Olympics of the World Fire Services, with Hong Kong having had 4 000 participants from 39 countries. The South African delegation, including ourselves, comprised of 37 entrants from Cape Town, Joburg and Pretoria.

As South Africans, we came away with 9 Gold, 21 Silver and 10 Bronze medals and finished 24th in the overall medals standings. Which, I might add, is no mean feat considering that some countries' teams comprised of more than 100 entrants.

Gold medals were won in body building (not me) and tug-o-war, Silver and Bronze medals in track and field, athletics, karate, body building, adventure race (similar to the TV program the Amazing Race) and tug-o-war. The team was also well represented in the Toughest Fire Fighter Alive event, cycling, marathon, half marathon, staircase climb (90 storeys), swimming, golf, angling, arm wrestling (again, not me) and many of the more fun events such as darts, pool, beer drinking, more beer drinking, oh, and beer drinking.

We, as the Westville team, participated in a number of events individually, with Rob Mordaunt cycling in the oppressive heat and humidity through the mountainous Chinese countryside to come a creditable 6th in his age group. Marc Rosseau and Stuart Burmeister competed in the strenuous and most prestigious event of the games for the award of the “Toughest Fire Fighter Alive”. This event pits physical strength and stamina against mental focus. To even complete this event is an achievement in itself, which they both did. Marc achieved 7th in his age category and 17th overall, with Stuart achieving an amazing 6th in his age group.

We entered one of the most gruelling events on the calendar which is similar to the TV programme, “The Amazing Race”, wherein participants use clues to negotiate their way to the final destination. The team excelled, but for a “slight glitch at Disneyland”, and came in third in a field of 42 teams entered. After six hours of endurance, we carried the flag for our team to win the Bronze medal, coming in two minutes behind the South Koreans and Canadians.

The locations of the venues were spread throughout the territory, which made it difficult to enter more events. We could and would certainly have competed more.

We as the Westville Fire Fighters Association will be competing in the next World Fire Fighters Games in Liverpool in 2008, and we hope to send a larger contingent this time around. Unfortunately, as with any team travel, we need to raise money which we have successfully done in the past with good sponsorships and a growing support from both corporations and individuals. Jeep supplied our clothing, as did Mr Price. City Couriers and Prop Data supported us both financially and through attracting sponsorships.