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Athlete Spotlight: Joe Arico

Missouri, USA | Eureka Fire Protection District

Too Fit for Cancer

By all accounts Joe Arico is a really nice guy who gives back to his community. Joe is also one tough hombre. 

The 61-year-old volunteer firefighter for the Eureka Fire Protection District in Missouri has always kept himself fit and has honed his skills and stayed in top shape by training and competing in Firefighter Challenge events since 2019, capturing two national championships and a bronze medal three times in world competitions in the process.

In the challenges, held throughout the year around the country, firefighters complete five drills representing the technical skills used to fight fires. Joe has competed in more than three dozen events, both solo and in tandem races with his partner Lianne McAuley, a firefighter from Ottawa, Ontario. Joe was the 2024 points champion for his age group, and he was presented the Ted Overcash Award for most points for all ages when he came to Hoover, Alabama last September for the U.S. National Championship event. His eyes are now set on returning for the Firefighter Challenge to be held during the 2025 World Police and Fire Games in Birmingham.

However, a prostate cancer diagnosis placed his life and competitions on temporary hold. “I had surgery in early 2022 and because we were coming out of COVID, the competition season was a little bit delayed,” joe recalls. “It gave me a chance to get back in shape and still compete in a couple of the events.”  

Most of his age peers would have taken longer to recover, but Joe was having nothing of the disease and recovered quickly. “I do think that my training, and the health that it put me in definitely helped me through that,” he asserts. ”I can’t say I’m cured, but honestly, it’s under control and I don't feel like I missed a beat.”

Joe is a regional sales manager for a medical device company and decided to give back as a volunteer firefighter six years ago. He is required to work 24 hours and train for eight hours a month for the district. The firefighter challenge became his way to be a better firefighter, and he trains five times a week for several hours a day.

“I’ve been extremely competitive all my life, so this is a full commitment,” he says. “If you want to compete at a high level, it requires a significant amount of your time outside of work.”

Joe, who has also participated in the World Firefighter Games, looks forward to his first WPFG in Birmingham. “I know one of the firefighters from Vistavia, and I’m looking forward to coming back and exploring more about the city,’’ he says. “There's a lot of good brew pubs all over the place.” 

By Del Moon

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