The City’s firefighters walked away with a haul of 21 medals at this weekend’s Toughest Firefighter Alive competition in George. 

The team of 23 firefighters competed in relay and individual events and returned with 17 gold, three silver and one bronze medal.
 
 The competition tests firefighters’ mental and physical fitness and simulates firefighting scenarios, competing in full gear including fire boots, bunker gear, tunics and helmets. 

More than 300 firefighters and 51 relay teams from across the country participated and were joined by teams from Botswana and Namibia. 

This year the teams were challenged by varying weather conditions with temperatures soaring above 34 degrees Celsius one day and overcast conditions the next.

Several competitors could not finish and needed medical attention.

‘Our firefighters continue to do us proud and their achievements at the competition cements what we already know. They are some of the toughest, bravest and most dedicated women and men in the country. I want to congratulate them for being some of the toughest firefighters in the country. Congratulations to the team, who not only did us proud against their counterparts and for stepping up every day,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

The winning firefighters are from the following fire stations:

Toughest Firefighter Alive Ladies - Gold

• Nomvuyiseko Lungile (Simon’s Town Fire Station)

Women’s Open:

• 35-39 Nomvuyiseko Lungile – Gold (Simon’s Town Fire Station)
• 45-49 Thobeka Senatse – Gold (Kraaifontein Fire Station)
• 45-49 Andiswa Stafa – Silver (Simon’s Town Fire Station)

Women’s Open Relay - Gold

• Thobeka Senatse (Kraaifontein Fire Station)
• Noluthando Dyantyi (Wildland firefighter stationed at Kraaifontein Fire Station)
• Nomvuyiseko Lungile (Simon’s Town Fire Station)
• Andiswa Stafa (Simon’s Town Fire Station)

Men’s Open:

• 30-34 Clint Fredericks – Silver (Kommetjie Fire Station)
• 18-29 Faeem Sonday – Bronze (Houtbay Fire Station)
• 45-49 Rudi van der Bergh – Silver (Lakeside Fire Station)
• 50-55 Jermaine Carelse – Gold ( Sir Lowry’s Pass Fire Station)
• 55-59 Willem Rickett – Gold (Mfuleni Fire Station)

Men’s Open Relay - Silver

• Aneeb Moses ( Epping Fire Station)
• Faeem Sonday (Hout Bay Fire Station)
• Cheron Hendricks (Brooklyn Fire Station)
• Clint Fredericks (Kommetjie Fire Station)

Men’s 40+ Relay - Gold

• Mogammad Armien (Hout Bay Fire Station)
• Rudi Van der Bergh (Lakeside Fire Station)
• Jermaine Carelse (Sir Lowry’s Pass Fire Station)
• Luton Grobbelaar (Belhar Fire Station)