Nick Heilmann, Michael Monohan, Joe Bewely, George Wiggins and Kevin Moulton
Training by: Matt and Mitch of Inferno Fitness
St. Matthews Firefighters have qualified to compete in the World Firefighter Combat Challenge in Las Vegas on November 16th-20th On August 15th, 2009 the men put their fitness levels to the test in Lexington KY, and competed in a "Regional" Firefighter Combat Challenge, known as the toughest two minutes in sports. The Firefighter Combat Challenge is an intense competition where each individual performs a simulated firefighting task in rapid succession to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public. The Teams relay time of 1 minute 41 seconds qualified them for the Championships in Vegas. The team plans to continue with their strength & conditioning program to prepare themselves for an upcoming competition in Evansville IN on October 18th. The current goal of the strength & conditioning program is to reduce the relay teams time to 90s." Stay tuned for Results!
Fox 41 in the Morning clip with Keith Kaiser
Article seen in August 26th Courier - Journal
Physical Fitness Training Pays Off for St. Matthews Firemen
St. Matthews Firefighters have qualified to compete in the World Firefighter Combat Challenge in Las Vegas on November 16th-20th. "This past weekend the men put their fitness levels to the test in Lexington KY, and competed in a "Regional" Firefighter Combat Challenge, known as the toughest two minutes in sports," says Matt Thoma, Owner of Inferno Fitness. The Firefighter Combat Challenge is an intense competition that draws nationwide competitors to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public.
Five Firemen from St. Matthews teamed up and competed in the relay portion of the Combat Challenge, where each individual performed a simulated fire-fighting task in rapid succession. This fierce competition involves competitors wearing 70 lbs of bunker gear, racing head-to-head as they simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a linked series of five tasks including climbing a 5-story tower with a 42 lb high rise pack, hoisting a 42 lb hose bundle to the top of the 5-story tower, then descending 5-stories to use a mallet to drive a 160 lb steel beam 5 feet. Competitors then negotiate a 140' slalom course to grab a charged hose and pull it 75' to blast a target. Lastly, comes a grueling rescue, where a life-sized, 175 lb. mannequin must be lifted and dragged a distance of 100'. The total time it takes the relay team to complete these events is recorded and teams race against themselves, their opponent and the clock.
St. Matthews Relay ran the course three times, advancing to the Sweet 16. The loss in the Sweet 16 didn't go unnoticed. The teams qualifying time of 1 minute 41 seconds made them Championship Finalists, meaning they are eligible for the World Firefighter Combat Challenge in Las Vegas. This rare accomplishment speaks volume of the dedicated firemen protecting and serving our community. The team plans to continue with their strength & conditioning program to prepare them for an upcoming competition in Evansville IN on October 18th. Mitch Miller, Owner of Inferno Fitness quotes, "It was an awesome experience not only to see our clients’ success, but also to witness the support from the community of St. Matthews, as we had the largest fan base at the competition."
St. Matthews Fire District committed themselves to the rigorous physical demands of their career by beginning a strength & conditioning program implemented by Inferno Fitness several months ago. If you would like more information regarding this topic, please contact us at infernofitness@live.com. Inferno Fitness is a strength and conditioning service dedicated to fire departments in order to build superior tactical athletes (InfernoFitness.net)