The TOUGHEST 2 MINUTES IN SPORT became a little tougher this weekend. FIREFEST battled extreme heat and rain during a one of kind event down at Windsor’s Riverfront Festival Plaza.

34 corporate teams stumbled and fumbled through the Corporate Combat Relays on Friday night - double the amount of teams in 2009. Collectively, the teams raised $16,500 for Transition to Betterness. This was the 9th year for FIREFEST, which has raised over $65,000 for local Windsor-Essex charities.

WINNERS:

• Recreational Division – Kipping Firestone
• Competitive Division – Wintex and Refine Fitness
• Media– Windsor Star

On Saturday, 134 firefighters (men and women) from across USA and Canada – including Windsor and Tecumseh competed in the FIREFIT Championships Regional Challenge. Firefighters came from Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Newfoundland, Quebec, Manitoba and Ontario. The firefighter combat challenge is “The Toughest 2 Minutes in Sports !” Firefighters took on the challenging course in heavy rain conditions. Windsor’s Team Parker Construction dominated on their home court.

NOTABLE:

Windsor Team Parker Construction is now preparing for the Canadian Nationals in Brampton, Ontario on Labour Day Weekend and the World Championships in Myrtle Beach, SC in November.

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The hottest 2 day, family event of the summer will once again sizzle in downtown Windsor on August 20 & 21.

FIREFEST is again teaming up with Transition to Betterness (T2B) on Friday night - August 20^th. Last year, T2B raised nearly $10,000 by having friends and corporations join together to raise pledges as they competed in teams during the Combat Relays. Contact T2B at 519-944-5143 to register your 2010 team.

This is the 9^th year for FIREFEST and will feature Corporate and Media relay teams stumbling through the combat course on Friday night with the professionals attacking the course on Saturday. The event will bring groups of professional firefighters, family & friends to Windsor from across Canada and the USA. This South Western Ontario regional stop will feature many of Canada’s best. In 2010 Windsor is the final stop on the tour prior to the Canadian Championships taking place in Brampton, Ontario. Last year the Men’s Individual Canadian Record was shattered on Windsor’s incredibly fast course.

The event also features Windsor’s “Team Parker Construction” who are2-time World Champions and5-time Canadian Champions. Windsor’s team is a threat to challenge for another Canadian and World championship. Windsor’s “Team Parker Construction” is competing in the Firefighter Challenge for its 14^th year. During this time, the team has donated their season winnings to Windsor Fire & Rescue Services - equalling over $130,000 worth of fire equipment.

The popularity of this unique sport continues to grow. January 2010, Windsor team member Darren Hillman participated in the first FIREFIT Dubai, United Arab Emirates Event. FIREFIT brought a team of Canada’s best competitors with a range of expertise in coaching, hosting and training firefighters for the competition. The first UAE International FIREFIT Championship was held in conjunction with the prestigious 2010 Intersec Convention held yearly in Dubai.


ABOUT THE CHALLENGE:

The Toughest 2 Minutes in Sports !

As seen on TSN, ESPN2 & Versus, the Firefighter Challenge was developed to showcase physical fitness and is about people doing their job safer and better. 3 to 5 person teams compete individually against the clock wearing full firefighting gear. The Challenge tasks are timed and completed sequentially.

In Canada,FIREFIT Championships has specialized in presenting firefighter events, across Canada since 1994. Be Fitter, Faster, Stronger... FireFit! The competition has grown over the years and the tour has visited every province in Canada – with 12 events scheduled this year. Competitors come from every Province and Territory as well as the United States, New Zealand, England and Dubai. A 1 hour Canadian Championship show is aired on TSN, OLN & RDS. In 2010, the Canadian Championships will be held in Brampton, Ontario.

In USA, Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge® began in 1991. In early spring, the Challenge attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments to over 25 events and has expanded to New Zealand, Germany, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa. At the USA regional level, competitors must complete the competition course within a certain time limit in order to qualify for the world championships. In 2010, the World Championships will be held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.