Ashley Ricci - NYPD

Well, Belfast was a blast! The highlight of my experience was being able to play with athletes from across the world; I played Women's Rugby 7s and our team was made up from a compilation of different countries. We had players from the US; from California and Rochester, but we also had two Australian players, two Dutch players and one player from Northern Ireland. 

Our teammate from Northern Ireland played locally at Carrickfergus Rugby Club and organised a friendly match there for Team Canada, so I got a chance to play a local team as well as play in the Games which was a very cool bonus!

I was able to grab some sightseeing in between all the rugby. I went to Bushmills Whiskey Distillery and had a great time there! Other than that, I played a ton and took home the Bronze medal in rugby!

Now that I am back home, I am trying to build a program for NYPD women's rugby to enter a team in the next Games! 

Henrik Hansen - Copenhagen Fire Department

You all did an excellent job at the Games! I've been participating in the World Police & Fire Games since 1999 and I have never been to one that was so well organised. Even the smallest detail was taking care of, so well done everyone!!

Henrik at Belvoir Park Golf Club

I was competing in the Golf competition and I asked to be switched to another team so I could share transport with my fellow countrymen going to the different courses. I wasn't sure if it would be possible so I I went along to the course I was going to play on the first round. But they managed to switch me to another course and a volunteer drove me in her own car to it.......that was a FANTASTIC gesture!

All the things lined up before the Opening Ceremony was fantastic. I was even interviewed live on BBC Radio. What an experience..! Your Opening Ceremony was fabulous; I was entertained from the very first minute and everyone was taken by storm with all the different singers, dancers and performances.

In the centre of Belfast, the red-shirted volunteers could be seen all over the city; there was no chance of getting lost!! I could go on forever, but choose to stop here. Thanks again for a fantastic job......the next host cities really have to look at your engagement and commitment Belfast!

Egor Iakovlev Chelyabinsk - Russian Federal Bailiffs Service

It's been a little over two months since we came back from the Games but to this day we still have this cheerful spirit; we are always in the great mood, telling all of our friends about our amazing trip and celebrating the big win!

Belfast is an incredible city; very beautiful, with lots of green parks, amazing architecture, friendly people, interesting tours and fun bars, which let us not only to compete in the great setting but also have an unforgettable vacation with family.

The colourful Opening Ceremony, perfect organisation of the whole competition, amazing helpful volunteers all created a comforting and very welcoming feeling from the beginning through to the very last day. 

Being in the same venue as my colleague Vladimir Averin, who was competing in Judo (I was competing in Karate) every day meant that we rooted for each other and of course supported each other. But besides sharing this experience and celebrating the win together, the Games also gave us an opportunity to meet new people from other countries, see old friends, plan to meet again at the next Games!!

Now we will just have to relive it in our memories, looking at the pictures. chatting, blogging and waiting for the next competition!

Laura Noble – London Fire Brigade

Last time you heard from me, I was gearing up to compete in the Bench Press and Ultimate Fire Fighter, and of course, experience the very best of Belfast. Well, what an amazing ten days I spent with like-minded people from all over the world. I hadn't even boarded my flight at Luton Airport, before I was approached by two volunteers, also heading to Belfast. And the friendliness did not stop there! Everyone I met from the bus drivers, to the staff at my accommodation, couldn't do enough for me as a tourist and everyone seemed genuinely excited about the Games being hosted in their city. The Opening Ceremony was a moving spectacle and there was something for everyone; from BMX stunt riders, traditional dancing, fireworks, to live music. It certainly set the tone for the start of the Games.

I stayed in halls of residence at Queen’s University which suited my needs and was an easy bus ride/walk into the city centre. Before my competitions started, I walked all over the city and found a few hidden gems. One of which had to be The Dock Café in the Titanic Quarter. Every city should have a venture just like it! I did a guided bike tour one day and found out even more about the vibrant city from a bona fide local. 

The Bench Press competition venue in Bangor was brilliant and only a short, picturesque train journey away from the city. The spectators really got behind each of the lifters, and several world records were broken which was great to witness. I got the gold medal in my category and of course, celebrated with a pint of Guinness or three afterwards!! 

My parents then arrived to support me in the Ultimate Fire Fighter competition. I was able to act as their tour guide for their stay. There was a lot of support at this event and great sportsmanship from all of the competitors. I didn't get on the podium this time but enjoyed it nonetheless.

I ended up feeling like a bit of a celebrity during my stay, as I was interviewed live on BBC Northern Ireland and also for the radio helping to spread the word about the different events on offer.

Near the end of my stay, I hired a car and drove up the North Coast with my parents to The Giants Causeway and Portrush. It was a lovely drive, the only down side was not having the time to visit all of the little towns and villages on the way! We managed to catch some of the volleyball action in Portrush, followed up with the obligatory fish’n’chips supper on the seafront.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Belfast and my parents loved it too! The Games were fantastic, such a buzzing atmosphere and it definitely lived up to its mantra of “The Friendliest Games Ever”. Thank you Belfast!

David Moore - Toronto Police Service

Back in May, David shared his story on our Blog about how he was preparing for his third World Police and Fire Games. Now read about how he got on in the cycling events and 5k cross country competition.....

It’s hard to believe that one month has already passed since we returned to Canada from our trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland and the 2013 World Police and Fire Games. I've been reflecting on how well things went overall and how glad I am that we decided to go. I travelled with my wife Jen, and our teenagers - son Alex and daughter Katie.

We arrived on July 28^th and went directly to our rented cottage near Crossgar in County Down. What a beautiful place and area we found ourselves in. We spent the rest of the day exploring the immediate surroundings, recovering from jet lag and generally just settling in.

We went into Belfast on Monday the 29^th and registered for the Games at the Waterfront Registration Centre. As soon as I saw the other athletes milling about, the reality of the competition began to sink in. It’s that familiar mixture of optimism and nervous energy that strikes me before all events…....

I definitely took advantage of the amazing surroundings for cycling as each morning I went for a solo ride in the early hours, exploring Strangford Lough, Newcastle, Downpatrick and down towards the edge of the Mourne Mountains, amongst other spots. Despite the narrow roadways, without much allowance for cyclists, I found the road surfaces to be excellent and people to be generally courteous as I did my best to ride consistently on the left hand side of the road!

As a family we had decided ahead of time that we definitely wanted to see certain areas of Northern Ireland during our stay - Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, the coastal route, the Mourne Mountains, Strangford Lough and to definitely take the black cab tour of Belfast. There were also the important shopping trips that kept certain members of the family in a more supportive frame of mind when it came time for me to compete!

The first race that was on tap for me was the Cycling Hill Climb taking place at Stormont Estate on July 31st. We arrived in plenty of time to warm up for the evening start. This was the first day that we really experienced a Belfast downpour! We parked the car and I went to sign in. All of the assembled cyclists were soaked and probably thinking the same thing – was this precipitation really necessary?! I found out my start time and went to prepare as best I could. We were to go off two at a time – each in one of the two lanes of Prince of Wales Avenue, up and around the roundabout at the Lord Carson statue and ending at the top of the hill in front of the stately Parliament building. The pain began immediately after the sound went to start our race. I made my way up thinking not only of the finish line ahead but also how hard I had trained for this very event. The race was over before I knew it and after several minutes of catching my breath, I rode back down the hill and met up with my family. I had no idea how I had done so we gathered at the results area and waited. The wait was well worth it as they called my name for the silver medal in my age category. What a great start to the Games!

The week went by very quickly and before we knew it the Road Race, Time Trial and Criterium were completed and on the evening of 6 August we were at Stormont Estate once again with all of our luggage packed in the car – including the bike, as this time I was to rely solely (no pun intended!) on my foot speed. 

It was the 5K Cross Country event. I went down to the playing field to watch the end of the 10K Cross Country and began my warm-up. It was exciting to see so many other competitors from all over the world and unlike most of the bike races, we would all be starting at the same time. There were well over 120 of us at the start and after hearing the gun, I fought quickly to gain a good position in the crowd. That unmistakeable feeling of pain in my lungs and legs brought home the reality of this hard event. There is no coasting in a 5K – it is pure effort from the start. The biggest challenge is to remain focussed on breathing and pacing. After the first of the two laps I knew that I could maintain the current pace but was unsure how close behind my next age group competitor was and how much of a kick they might have. Jen and Katie were able to tell me that so far I was in second place for my grouping. I did my best to ignore the pain and kept thinking of the finish line ahead. I also didn’t look back but only gauged how close the next pack behind me was by the shouts of the crowd to them several seconds after I had passed by. I crossed the finish line in second for my age and 9^th overall with a big smile on my face. A second silver medal to join the first one!

This was the first of three Games that I have attended that I have won a medal at, but was also the first Games in which I really felt that I had competed at my best, not only representing Toronto Police Service but also Canada as well. 

As a family we really enjoyed the hospitality of the country and look forward to a return visit one day. My thanks to all of the organizers and volunteers in Belfast and Northern Ireland for making this truly the best Games yet!

Kevin Miles - Co-working and competing!

Hello there! My name is Kevin Miles and I am a retired FBI agent from Western Massachusetts.

This year my wife, Reggie, and I are coming over to the Games in Belfast. Both of us are going to be competitors which will be great fun - fortunately we won’t be going up against each other as we’re in different events! That’s probably a very good thing since we have pretty much followed the same path career-wise for the past 23 years!!

We met each other on the first day of our FBI training and were in the same Academy class at Quantico. We worked together for three years in Buffalo, NY Division; we were on the Organised Crime Squad and then on the Narcotics Squad. We then worked in the Los Angeles Division for 17 years. For the first three of those years we worked together on the Joint Terrorism Task Force - I worked in Domestic Terrorism and Reggie worked International Terrorism. We both recently retired from the FBI - on the very same day, of course! We now work together for Troy Asymmetric in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

This will be my second time at World Police and Fire Games and it will be my wife’s fifth (I have a serious bit of catching up to do!). I will be doing the Triathlon and Regina will be doing the Push-Pull event. We are both really looking forward to the Games and meeting up with all the other international competitors – I just hope I pick up a better medal than my wife!!

Laura Noble from the London Fire Brigade

My name is Laura Noble, I am 33 and I have been a fire fighter with London Fire Brigade for over ten years. This will be my second trip to Northern Ireland and my parents are coming out to support me in my events which are Bench Press and Ultimate Fire Fighter. These events are new to me, as in previous World Games, I have competed in Karate and Indoor Rowing, but this time I fancied a change! I have been training since January and getting lots of help and advice from my colleagues.

Meeting new people and forging new relationships with like-minded people is one of the things I am most looking forward to about these Games. I am the co-ordinator for the London Fire Brigade entrants, working alongside our Welfare Fund to help and support them. I was lucky enough to visit Belfast in April and see first-hand the venues and accommodation on offer and of course, experience the great hospitality!

The camaraderie and atmosphere at the World Police and Fire Games help to make them unique from other sporting events. My stand out memories from my first WPFG in New York 2011, is the generosity and friendliness of the people. Even during Hurricane Irene, they went out of their way to ensure my safety and well-being. I was staying with a FDNY Despatcher for the first few days and she arranged for transport and a stay in a hotel during the hurricane even though her own home was damaged through the storm.

I am really looking forward to the Belfast Games. I have already booked to see an Irish dance/music show and hope to visit The Giant’s Causeway as well as several drinking establishments within the city, see you there!

John Kitsco from the Toronto Fire Service

Hi, my name is John Kitsco and I am an Acting Captain with the Toronto Fire Service where I have been a fire fighter for the last 22 years.

I'm currently based at Fire Station 313 where I work with an outstanding group of guys and I am very proud to represent my crew, and the whole Toronto Fire Service, at this year’s Games in Belfast. I am really looking forward to competing in the bodybuilding event.

Bodybuilding is a passion for me and I've enjoyed competing in it for over twenty years. I have taken part in National level events as a top-ranked amateur, as well as in three previous WPFG events in Quebec, Vancouver and New York where took the gold medal at each one.

Now, as a senior competitor, I'm enjoying all the training and preparation for this year’s Games.

I am really looking forward to the camaraderie, seeing old friends and meeting new ones. To me being part of an epic event such as WPFG stands for something more than just sport.

So, I'll be proudly representing Toronto Fire in Belfast training hard to win, but more importantly I am looking forward to enjoying the whole of the Games and all the social aspects of it too! I am reassured that Belfast will best social experience!!

Running, blogging and brewing beer!

My name is Eduardo Flecha Pérez and I am a 32 year old fire fighter from Spain. I am crazy about trail running and well, all sports in general!

In 2011, I competed in the New York Games where I took part in the 5k Cross Country. It was a really great event but this time round I am taking things to another level….. I have signed up for TWO events – Mountain Running and Toughest Competitor Alive.

I am well into my training for both of these events and I have even created a Blog to share my experiences and photos with everyone – please click here to have a look at what I have been up to. And when I am not running up a mountain or writing up my Blog, I am busy with my other passion – brewing beer! I’m looking forward to sampling some of the local beers in Northern Ireland!

See you in Belfast everyone, I am VERY excited about it!!

Are you competing in this year's Games and have a story to tell? Please send us an e-mail and we'll share it with other athletes on our Blog! 

Meet Andy from Scotland!

Hello, my name is Andy Cowie and I am an Assistant Chief Constable with Police Scotland, based in Inverness.

I’m really looking forward to the Games this year and in particular the Cycling Time Trial at Carrickfergus. It’s going to be a great opportunity to test my cycling speed and strength against colleagues from across the globe!

I took up cycling five years ago as part of the ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme and I decided to give up the gym to concentrate on my cycling. I tend to do 150 miles a week during the winter to build a solid base, mixing that up with interval training. Due to the winter weather in the Scottish Highlands (it can be below freezing for weeks at a time and it seems dark for about 6 months of the year!) a lot of my training time is spent in the garage on a turbo trainer. 

There is a strong club scene in the north of Scotland with a massive boost in numbers reflecting the national picture. I am a member of Moray Firth Cycling Club, which has around 80 members. I picked up a lot from the club riders who have many years' experience under their belt. The club has now got a strong road racing and time trialling element in it, as well as beginners.

I'm blessed with having a very supportive family that lets me put the hours in at work and cycling. I've been coached by Tony Hay, a very strong national level rider with coaching/sports science qualifications, for the last couple of years and that has meant not one pedal stroke in training has been wasted. Train smarter, not longer!

The timing of the WPFG in the season is pretty good, coming just about 6 weeks from the UK Emergency Services Cycling TT Championship, being held in Scotland later this month. I've medalled at this event in the 25 miles TT in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, to commemorate the end of the Northern Constabulary, my colleagues Sgt. Alan McCaffery, Sgt. Mel Fowler , Sgt. Andrew Shaw and I targeted the UK Emergency Services Championship. We took the 10 mile TT Police Sport UK Team trophy and were just pipped by Lothian and Borders Police for the 25 mile TT trophy! So Time Trialling is alive and well and, as part of the newly formed Police Scotland, we look to put in a good time at the WPFG TT at the iconic setting of Carrickfergus Castle!!

My colleagues are doing all the road events in Northern Ireland - other duties and my recovery ability mean that I will just be focussing on the TT, but nonetheless I'm certain it will be a great time and one to tell the grandkids about in my dotage!

Per ardua ad astra... through adversity to the stars

Hi, my name is Phil Neil and I am a fire fighter with The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service in Belfast.

This is my first time taking part in the World Police and Fire Games; I’ll be competing in the Time Trial which is one of the 5 cycling events featuring at the Games.

Nine years ago I broke both my ankles after a fall from a first floor window ledge – I never thought I’d walk again, let alone cycle! I had surgery at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and ended up with a titanium plate and 8 screws in my legs. The Consultant there was pretty frank about my condition, in his own words he told me, “Mr Neil you will never run again……….not even across the hospital car park!”. To say I was utterly shattered by this is truly an understatement.

The Olympics and Paralympics in Athens were on TV when I was confined to my bed in hospital and that helped motivate me to get better and prove the medical profession wrong! With aggressive determination, drive and fighting spirit I got back to my training and here I am today getting in form for the Games in Belfast!

So far, everything has been going really well - I'm now in week 37 of a year-long training programme which has been put together by a fellow fire fighter, Brendy McConville. I met Brendy at Fire Training School over 13 years ago; he’s probably the best coach to have as he’s a Commonwealth Games Athlete and also competing in this year’s Games.

We get together for our training sessions in several gyms, as well as at some outside venues (which is sometimes interesting in our Northern Irish climate!). Having said that, we are really lucky to have some great outdoor locations to train; we regularly head to Groomsport Beach and Ward Park, Bangor for some plyometric and sprint sessions.

It’s been a tough route to get to this point, but I believe anything is possible and I never, ever give up! Living my life by the motto ‘Per ardua ad astra’ (Through adversity to the stars) keeps me focused and driven!

Meet Karen and her team from Australia!

I've been part of the South Australia Police for over 30 years and my job has taken me across the northern areas of Adelaide, including Holden Hill, Port Adelaide, Elizabeth and Gawler.

I wouldn't really describe myself as an athlete, I just like to get involved in a variety of sports that give the best social atmosphere (and that's exactly what I think the World Police and Fire Games are ALL about!!).

So, my latest social sport is darts and I have put together a team especially for the Belfast Games - the 'Darts Tarts'! This will be the first time I have competed in darts - in fact, this is a new sport to all of us, but we believe we will put up a good fight at the Games – and no doubt provide lots of laughs!

 

I am really excited about the opportunity for services personnel from all over the world to get together and share a ‘super friendly’ atmosphere through sport. The World Police and Fire Games is the event where this can happen. My first experience of this was in Adelaide in 2007 and that's when I decided to compete in future Games. My favourite part of every Games is the Opening Ceremony and being part of the parade with all the international competitors.

I have managed to rally together some non-police friends, Di and Gary from New South Wales and Jo from Canberra, along with Dianna, Lesely-Ann and Geraldine to follow us to Belfast as a cheer squad for all the competitors. Together, these six, now known as the 'Darts Tartlets', will cheer on any South Australian (or even Australian) in any event!

After the Games, I have a must-do tourist list which includes the Giant's Causeway and the Black Taxi tour in Belfast. My plan is then to visit the Jameson Distillery in Dublin before crossing the Irish Sea to England to do a bit of travelling with the Tartlets.
See you all in August - come and cheer Jan, Allan and me on at the Darts event! I'll see you for a pint of the black stuff afterwards!

Have you taken up a new sport? Do have a great team like Karen's? Send us an e-mail and we can share your story with other athletes on our Blog!

TCA – Transformation, Commitment, Achievement

Hello my name is Peter Thompson and I am a 30 year old constable in the Police Service of Scotland.

My story began in 2005 when I was tipping the scales at nearly 18 stone, I had always wanted to become a Police Officer and one day I realised I just had to do something if I was going to achieve this. So, I made major lifestyle changes, followed a new diet and fitness regime and ended up shedding around 4 stone! This was both an emotional and physical journey and finally I was accepted into the Police Service in 2006.

This has been a huge turnaround in my life and I am thrilled to say that I am taking part in this year’s Toughest Competitor Alive event – something I could never imagined doing 8 years ago!

Do you have any inspirational stories you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you, please drop us an email and we'll get in touch!

Egor's case of mistaken identity!

Andrey Naumov and Egor Iakovlev

Greetings from Russia! I’m Egor Iakovlev Chelyabinsk and I work for the Russian Federal Bailiffs Service. My sport is Karate and I hold a black belt in the sport.

I’ve competed in the Games before in 2011 in New York which was a great experience for me, despite having a bit of a tricky time with one of the officials there! I was preparing for my first event and one of the judges approached me to say that he knew exactly who I was. I was very surprised as I am really not a famous or well-known competitor anywhere! He wasn’t happy at all and took me aside to tell me I was not going to be allowed to compete because I had a reputation for being a very dangerous competitor!

I was so, so shocked and after a lot of discussion and debate it turned out that he had mistaken me for one of Fyodor Emelyanenko's ultimate fighters known as ‘Baby Fyodor’. I ended up having to get my official documents to prove who I really was and then he finally allowed me to carry on in the competition. It was a very worrying moment for me, but I earned the new title of ‘Baby Fyodor’ for the rest of the Games!

I am looking forward to competing in the Northern Ireland Games and then taking some time to have a lovely holiday with my wife after the competition.

I really hope to win some medals in Belfast and perhaps be known as ‘Champion Baby Fydor’ for this year’s Games!!!



We love Egor's story! If you would like to share your sporting experiences, interesting stories, or just tell us how your training is going, please contact Karen in the 2013 Communications Team. We look forward to hearing from you!

Eric Beauchamp – competing for a cause

My name is Eric Beauchamp and I'm a police officer in the Longueuil Police Department in the province of Québec, Canada. I’ve been in the force for 7 years and the Belfast Games will be my first experience of the World Police and Fire Games. I will be competing in two events – Mountain Biking and Toughest Competitor Alive.

My reason for taking part in the Games is to raise money for the HTAPQ Foundation which supports people who have the incurable disease Artery Pulmonary Hypertension, a condition that my wife suffers from. My goal is to raise $5000, and to help me achieve this I have created my own website, as well as Facebook and Twitter pages.

This is the first time I have put so much time and effort into something; I'm not expecting to win any medals, my only goal is to reach the magic number of $5000! My training regime for the Games is extremely challenging and each week I complete the following:

3 x 100km road cycles

3 x 30km mountain bike cycles

1 x cross-fit sessions

2 x spin sessions

3 x gym session

1 x 5km runs

50 x 100m sprints

I am very lucky to have so much support as I find the training so demanding, both mentally and physically. People have rallied round to be my personal trainers, motivators and training buddies – all of which is helping me through this gruelling regime!

I can’t wait to visit Northern Ireland and compete with some amazing athletes in the Games!

Click on the following links for more information about the Cycling and TCA events, or if you’d like to register for any of the sports events please click here.

 

David Moore – ready for WPFG number 3!

Hi there from Canada! My name is David Moore and I'm a police officer with Toronto Police Service.

I am coming over to Belfast to compete in all of the Cycling events this year - Hill Climb, Road Race, Time Trial and Criterium. And if these events weren’t challenging enough, I am also competing in the 5k Cross Country event!

I have been to the Games twice before; I ran in the Half Marathon in Vancouver in 2009 and cycled in the Time Trial New York in 2011 (unfortunately Hurricane Irene stopped me doing any of the other cycling events - I'll make up for that in Belfast!).

Right now, I race with Morning Glory Cycling Club in Toronto and compete in road, cyclocross and mountain biking. I am training as hard as I can, but it’s a challenge fitting it all in around work and family!

I am very much looking forward to competing in Belfast – I know they're going to do a great job with the 2013 Games.

Click on the following links for more information about the Cycling and Cross Country events, or if you’d like to register for any of the sports events please click here.

Ashley Ricci – from Rowing to Rugby!

My name is Ashley Ricci and I work for the New York Police Department, based at the 28^th Precinct in Harlem.

Before I joined the Police, I was a rower – I rowed in the Division 1 team when I was at College and when I graduated I was selected to train with the US Development Team in Connecticut. This was full-time training and I competed several times in America as a lightweight rower and I even travelled to Galway to compete in the Head of the Tribesman Regatta, which I won gold in both the Women's 8 and Women's Quad.

When I joined the Police, I was not able to continue rowing but I still wanted to be part of an organised and competitive sport. One of my colleagues played for the NYPD Rugby Team and suggested that I should give rugby a go. Unfortunately, the Police Team here didn’t have a women’s side, so I did a bit of investigating to see what teams were in the area. I discovered the Village Lions Rugby Club who soon became my second family! My passion for this new sport grew overnight and I spent many hours at the Club learning all the essential skills from some amazing people.

When I learned that Women's Rugby was being offered at the Games in Belfast for this first time, I jumped at the chance to compete internationally and be part of this fast-growing sport for women. I am travelling over with the Men’s NYPD Rugby Team and have entered as a pool player for the tournament.

My training is well underway with the Village Lions and I’m looking forward to being part of the first Women’s Rugby event at the Games! See you there!

Click here for more information about Rugby at the 2013 WPFG, or if you’d like to register for any of the sports events please click here.

Henrik from Copenhagen…….

Hi there! I’m Henrik Hansen and I'm a fire fighter in the Copenhagen Fire Department in Denmark where I've been for over 28 years.

My passion is golf and I have played at the Games many times, I have also competed in the Muster event in Adelaide in 2007.

I have some great memories of playing golf at the World Police and Fire Games – at the 1999 Games in Stockholm I was partnered up with a fire fighter called Chuck from Memphis and we had the best three days on the course. Unfortunately, I lost touch with Chuck after the Games and didn’t expect our paths to cross again. That was until I turned up for my first day’s play at the 2001 Games in Indianapolis.

I was unloading my clubs from the boot of my car and heard this yell from the other side of the car park. I wondered who it could be and I turned round to see Chuck! He ran towards me yelling...."Henrik from Copenhagen…….???" I of course responded, “Chuck from Memphis....???” We spent hours chatting like we had known each other for years – this is what makes the spirit of the Games for me.

Chuck from Memphis, if you’re reading this, I really hope you are coming to Belfast!!

Click here for more information about Golf.

100 days to go until the opening ceremony

Today there are 100 days to go until the opening ceremony of the 2013 World Police & Fire Games at the King's Hall in Belfast! Over the next hundred days, we'll be profiling lots of fantastic competitors from around the world who will be coming to Belfast for the Games. We'll also be sharing stories from our Volunteers and the 2013 Team. 

Below is the first contribution from Jim Currell of the Victoria Police. If you would like to contribute to the blog, please contact Karen in the 2013 WPFG team.

My name is Jim Currell and I am a sergeant with Victoria Police in Melbourne, Australia. I am originally from Northern Ireland - I was born in Bangor and left with my family for Australia at the age of 14 months. This will be my first time returning to Northern Ireland since I emigrated and I am very excited about my trip home after over fifty years!

I have competed in the World Police and Fire Games before – I took part in the 4 x 400 metre event in my home town of Melbourne in 1995. This year, I am taking part in the Track and Field 200 & 400 metre events. I have competed in several Australia and New Zealand Police Games where I won gold and set an ANZPG record for the 400 metres which was surpassed a few years later. I am passionate about sport and am a qualified Track & Field coach where I have been involved with the National Junior Development Program (up to under 20 level).

Not only am I looking forward to my visit home and competing in the Games, but I am also thrilled to celebrating my 30th wedding anniversary with my wife on 6 August (right in the middle of the Track and Field events!). Hopefully I can bring some Aussie sunshine with me to share with everyone! 

Click here for more information about Track and Field events.