The FireFit Championships get underway in the Village of Point Edward this weekend. Participants will climb, pull, hammer, spray and drag their way to victory in a matter of minutes. Point Edward FireFit competitor Gord Yates says the course is based on firefighting tasks usually performed in emergency situations.
"You have to be physically fit for the job and it's hard. People think you can just walk in and do it," says Yates. "Certain people like Ian make it look like it's easy and it's not."
Point Edward firefighter Ian Van Reenan recently broke the world record for men's individual and is hoping to break it again this weekend.
"He just broke the world record at 1:12.29 two weeks ago in Ingersoll," says Yates. "A couple of nights ago he ran 1:10 in practice. I think he's going to do it."
46-year old Yates says he's been training for months and hopes to be anywhere around the 1:30 mark.
Firefighters from all across North America will be visiting to participate in the competition including those from BC and Ohio.
The competition takes place Saturday and Sunday in the parking lot off Livingston Street, across from the Mackinac and Bridge Bash festivities.