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ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Learn About Our Amazing Athletes

Welcome to the Athlete's Spotlight of the World Police & Fire Games! Here, we celebrate the incredible dedication, skill, & bravery of the athletes who serve & protect our communities. Explore the stories behind the badges, where heroes from around the globe share their journeys, triumphs, & the spirit of competition that unites us all. Get inspired by their commitment both on & off the field, as we honor their achievements in the games & their unwavering service. Click on an image below to read more about these amazing atheletes!

Kristine Franz Ramos

The love of sports has taken Kristine Franz Ramos around the world. The 41-year-old police seargent in Makati City, Philippines is a multisport athlete who has been a part of World Police and Fire Games since 2019. Read her athlete ambassador story to learn more of her world-embracing outlook!

Krista Francis-Raymah

Krista has been a regular figure on the medal podium at World Police and Fire Games for her track and field performances, most recently winning two Gold and two Silver medals at the 2023 World Police and Fire Games in Winnipeg. Her consistent athletic prowess and positive spirit was recognized when Krista was inducted into the World Police and Fire Games Hall of Fame in 2022.

Fort Worth Police Dept.

The 2023 World Police and Fire Games may have been in Winnipeg Canada, but after repeatedly hearing “Fort Worth” and “That’s a new record!” announced at the powerlifting venue one might have thought a Texas cattle drive was coming through. The Fort Worth Police Department Powerlifting Team came home with 15 medals (nine gold) and established nine new WPFG records in the various events and weight classes. It’s not their first rodeo either. Read our athlete ambassador feature to learn how they have dominated and are also making a difference in their community.

Rick Dorey

Rick Dorey still laughs about how he got started with archery. His West Palm Beach Fire Department was hosting the Florida Firefighter Games in 1994 and asked him to run archery. He bought a used bow from a pawn shop to better understand the sport and has not stopped competing since. In this athlete ambassador spotlight, Rick reveals how his son has followed him into fire service and shooting arrows at the WPFG.

Abdulaziz Alkaabi

Winning a medal is exciting, but being part of a team proudly representing the United Arab Emirates is a bigger reward for Abdulaziz Alikaabi, who won silver in shooting at the 2023 World Police and Fire Games in Winnipeg. Find out more about the team’s impressive medal count in this athlete ambassador spotlight!

Jen Martin

There aren’t a lot of female motorcycle cops out there, so Jen Martin caught our attention. Jen’s primary sport has always been swimming, and she’s racked up plenty of medals since first going to WPFG in Quebec in 2005. The 21-year veteran and sergeant of the Pembroke Pines, Florida Police has been riding a Harley in the traffic motor unit for four years and is excited to show off her skills. The surprise is that Jen also has Lupus, a chronic disease that she is keeping at bay with her active lifestyle.

Paul Jenkins

Paul has a special reason to go to Birmingham for #16. Follow the link to find out about the Welsh connection to the Magic City that he is excited to visit! If there’s one person who embodies the spirit of the World Police and Fire Games (WPFG), 78-year-old Welsh runner Paul Jenkins would be a top choice. The retired Prison Service employee has completed 33 London Marathons and has powered through all 15 WPFG events since Melbourne, Australia in 1995.

Richard Bloom

Richard Bloom has always been athletic, but the demands & odd schedules of his work as a lieutenant for the Suffolk County, Massachusetts Sheriff’s Department disrupted his eating & fitness habits and his health declined. Then he discovered the World Police & Fire Games & found his motivation to get back in shape. He has racked up 17 medals & set nine records through three WPFG appearances.

Beate Schramm

We were pleasantly surprised to find a first responder at the 2023 World Police and Fire Games who has competed in the Olympics. Not only that, Beate Schramm has been twice and cherishes a Gold Medal in rowing from the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Beate took a family break and returned to WPFG in 2022 and 2023, crushing her competition and setting age level records. Read Beate’s fascinating history, including how she competed for both East Germany and the reformed Germany in this athlete ambassador story!

Rob Kroonen

Rob Kroonen Likes his Judo Dutch Style - You don’t think a man from The Netherlands would dominate the sport of judo, but Rob Kroonen with the Brabant-Zeeland West Police Department has done just that in his World Police and Fire Games career, winning gold medals every time since 2017. Meet Rob in this athlete ambassador story!

Elizabeth Finnegan

This Cheerleader is on Track – You won’t find a more competitive person at the 2025 World Police & Fire Games than track speedster and jumper Elizabeth Finnegan with the Columbus, Ohio Division of Fire. You also won’t find a bigger smile and friendlier demeanor off the track. That’s because our spotlight ambassador started as a cheerleader, which she says is helpful in her job.

Joe Arico

Joe Arico is a nice guy but also one tough hombre. Joe has earned championships and points leader awards in Firefighter Challenge events since 2019. However, in 2022 the volunteer firefighter from Eureka, Missouri faced a cancer diagnosis that required surgery to ward off. Joe, now 61, believes that his lifelong fitness and regular training to achieve peak performance helped his body recover and to return to competition. Read more about Joe and other great WPFG athlete ambassadors coming to Birmingham!

Stacy Miskolczi

It’s not often that a cop would enter a firefighter-dominated event in the World Police and Fire Games. Canadian Stacy Miskolczi, a detective with 19 years’ service with the Edmonton Police Service, defies the notion and finds excitement with the Stair Climb event. She has been capturing gold and silver stair climb medals for all but one WPFG since 2009. In this athlete ambassador story Stacy reveals she travels to compete in tower running events around North America and has family ties to Birmingham.

Pedro Ferrer & Yolanda Dominguez

The World Police and Fire Games often brings recognition to competitors when they return home, as Pedro Ferrer and his wife Yolanda Dominguez learned when their hometown in southwest Spain put the cop couple up on a platform

Donald Bryant

The World Police & Fire Games is first responders’ opportunity to compete on an international stage and enjoy the experience. For six-time WPFG weightlifter Donald Bryant, it’s equally the camaraderie and making international friends. Bryant, a retired Corrections Deputy for Multnomah County in Vancouver, Washington, has faced off with some formidable opponents and emerged with two Gold and four Silver medals in Bench Press. Yet some of his best memories come off the mat. Read his locker room story and learn of his passion for service on our webpage where you will find many more athlete spotlights!

Kurt Strohmayer

When longtime WPFG tennis player Kurt Strohmayer marched into the 1997 Opening Ceremony in Calgary, Canada with his 8-year-old son Erich riding on his shoulders he had no idea how much of an impact it had on the wide-eyed young boy. A quarter of a century later, both returned to Canada in 2023 for the Winnipeg World Police & Fire Games as both cops and athletes!

Tomasz Wankiewicz

Tomasz Wankiewicz has many passions, including being a first responder and pursuing athletics. The 33-year old CrossFit athlete has entered international competitions and is now excited to compete at the the 2025 World Police and Fire Games in Birmingham. Tomasz also shared another passion when he told us he looks forward to visiting the Barber Motorsports Museum.

Marvin Green

Golf is a quirky game. You never know where that little white ball will take you. Just ask Chief Marvin Green of the Vestavia Hills, AL Fire Department, who scored his first hole in one in January, 2024 and is now planning to join in international competition when the 2025 World Police and Fire Games arrive in his backyard. However, in this athlete ambassador feature Marvin humorously adds that he was lucky and will just enjoy the game he often plays with other firefighters.

Billy Harrington & Team Fairfax

Some of the Ice Hockey teams coming for the 2025 World Police & Fire Games blend services. Team Fairfax is a police and fire team led by their captain Billy Harrington, 50, a Fairfax, Virginia Fire Department Captain. One might think there would be rivalry, but Billy says it’s the opposite. “It’s great on a call to see a familiar face and you're shaking hands and hugging,” Billy says. “When we play against each other we have friendly banter. But when we play together, we work together like out in the street. It's a common goal and mission.”

Evan Minaker

When Birmingham sent a team to Winnipeg, Canada for the 2023 World Police and Fire Games, they expected to see Canadian things like maple leaf flags, poutine, hockey fans, maybe even catch a glimpse of a RCMP Mountie. What they didn’t expect to see was a smiling Canadian athlete wearing a University of Alabama T-shirt walking through the hall. Read more about how Evan Minaker became a Tide fan & why he's excited to travel to Sweet Home Alabama.

Derek Robinson

Derek Robinson grew up in Southern California loving to swim. His passion for the water led him to become an ocean lifeguard and a competitive swimmer in college, and he has won more than his share of medals through eight World Police and Fire Games. In 2017, however, retired Kern County, California fire captain found himself in a battle with post-traumatic stress disorder and his anxiety made him scratch from his best swim event in the 2017 Games. “My broken mind had convinced me I couldn't finish,” he says. But this story has a happy ending!

Oleg & Anton Kavalov

There were no bigger heroes attending the 2023 World Police and Fire Games in Winnipeg than the small but proud team from the Ukraine, who received an extended standing ovation when they marched into the Opening Ceremony. We were surprised to meet father and son first responders on the team who are helping maintain order in Ukraine’s second largest city. Meet Oleg and Anton Kavalov in this athlete ambassador story!

Rob Lyle

Rob Lyle has always loved track and field and competes as a masters athlete while serving as a Police Seargent in Auckland, New Zealand. He has won medals in the Australasian and New Zealand Police and Emergency Services (APES) Games and is eager to test himself against the world in Birmingham next year. Click to read how Rob expresses his love for sport and being a first responder in this athlete ambassador story!

Jose Antonio Gómez Milara

The World Police & Fire Games has many examples of children following their parents into service and fun competition. Jose Antonio Gomez Milara, 56, is a Battalion Chief and 34-year veteran for the Madrid Fire Department in Spain. He has competed in every WPFG since 1999, and his son Marcos has tagged along for 10 Games. Now 25, Marcos is a firefighter and training with his “Papa” for Stair Race and Toughest Competitor Alive at the 2025 Games in Birmingham. Read more about Jose’s fatherly pride, his medal success, and why he is so grateful to be alive to be part of the World Police & Fire Games.

Ana Ruzevic

Alabama will have medal hopes when Ana Ruzevik takes on the Firefighter Challenge at the 2025 World Police & Fire Games this summer. Ana has roots in Eastern Europe but has made her home in the Birmingham area & has served with the Vestavia Hills Fire Department since 2018. She has excelled in The Firefighter Challenge Series, winning the 2019 national title in her first year competing, & repeating the feat in 2021. Read her athlete ambassador spotlight to find how she came to America as a college athlete & recently became a U.S. citizen!

Alan Lerpiniere

By most accounts the Australians have some of the most colorful and humorous ways to tell stories. Alan Lerpiniere with Aviation Fire Rescue in Sydney has been a formidable competitor in multiple WPFG sports for more than 20 years. Alan shared a serious story with us about a serious rugby injury he sustained during the Barcelona Games in 2003 that he placed a funny spin on. Read about it and his exploits in this week’s Athlete Ambassador Spotlight!

Cheri Bergman

It’s time consuming to work as a first responder and also train and travel to compete in the World Police & Fire Games. Imagine also taking on a major volunteer role as an organizer helping to host the massive Games. Cheri Bergman, a Correctional Officer for the Manitoba Justice System, knows this having been involved as a board member helping the Winnipeg Host Committee win the bid and bring the event to Canada. Read all about her sports and how Manitoba is carrying forward the legacy by offering its athletes financial assistance to cover registration to come to Birmingham this summer.

Iranilmo Melo Lopes

As a child growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Iranilmo Melo Lopes never dreamed he would be traveling the world playing soccer as an adult. Like most of his friends, Soccer was just a fun sport that he loved to play. But he did dream of becoming a police officer. Today he is enjoying both passions with his Brazillian National Soccer Team.

Jason Moore

Jason Moore is a 14-year veteran officer with the Clearwater Police Department, and he has a “secret weapon” that gives him an advantage in tough take-down situations. Hint: "It's like human chess."

Robert Cutts

Robert Cutts is on a mission, and you don’t get in the way when his mind is set. After winning Gold on the international stage ten years ago, the 65-year-old Cape Cod native and Boston resident is gearing back up for an overdue repeat attempt when the biennial World Police & Fire Games (WPFG) comes to Birmingham, Alabama in June.

Ricardo “Rick” Roman

Rick Roman has been a New York City firefighter since 2006, and he took on CrossFit to keep himself in peak shape. He founded his FDNY CrossFit team in 2010 and has competed in four World Police & Fire Games, beginning when the sport was first added in the Fairfax Games in 2015. Rick has a Silver Medal and would like to stand atop the podium, but he has a memory from Winnipeg in 2023 that he treasures more than gold.

Robert Harris

Whether it’s running down criminals or running for track glory, Robert Harris, Jr. has always put his best foot forward. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Robert served his community for 24 years, retiring as a Lieutenant in the Memphis Police Department.

Corinne Heavner

At first glance, 29-year-old Corinne Heavner looks more like an actress out of Central Casting than an Atlanta police officer. From her elegant poise and even-tempered speech, you wouldn’t think she’s a Master Police Officer and a detective in the Homicide Assault Unit of the DeKalb County Police Department.

Francisco Medina Rodriguez & Juan Manuel Marquez

Spaniards Francisco “Fran” Medina Rodrigueaz and Juan Manuel Marquez were sworn in as officers for the Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz) Police Service on the same day in 1988. Both enjoyed sports, and both began traveling together to the 2003 WPFG in Barcelona. The experience was an eye opener and they have been to every event since then.

Eric Meyer

Until recently, Eric Meyer had no idea he would ever compete in a formal sporting event. The 22-year veteran lieutenant with the Mountain Brook Fire Department is also co-founder and brewmaster of the popular Cahaba Brewing Company, and he was dabbling with jiu-jitsu at a local gym for recreation as time allows.

Joel Martinez

Joel Martinez is Running for His Life…and Yours. The life of a first responder is full of challenges, both mental and physical. Keeping alert and in shape is critical to their mission of protecting property and saving lives. 33-year-old Joel Martinez with the Fort Myers Beach Fire District likes to run for fitness, and now he will run for Gold in the 2025 World Police & Fire Games (WPFG) this June in Birmingham, Alabama.
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