Firefighters Win 10 Medals at Toughest Firefighter Alive 2024

City of Cape Town firefighters brought home ten medals from the Toughest Firefighter Alive (TFA-SA) competition, where Firefighters from Overstrand Municipality also participated: Siwaphiwe Nxusani and Susan Stanley. This was the 9th edition of South Africa’s ‘Toughest Firefighter Alive’ Open competition which was held at De Bakke Beach in Mossel Bay from Thursday, 26 to Saturday, 28 September 2024. In addition, the City’s Baigum Abrahams retained her title as the top woman in the country.

The 26-strong team (seven women and 19 men) from the Fire & Rescue Service garnered six gold, two silver and two bronze medals. “Our firefighters have once again proven their metal by bringing home the medals,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith. “They are some of the toughest, bravest and most dedicated women and men in uniform, and we are exceptionally proud of them - well done to the team!” 

Toughest Fire Fighter Alive Mossel Bay 2024
The City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service entered twenty-six competitors comprising seven women and nineteen men. The event consisted of individual and relay events. The team performed exceptionally well and brought back 10 medals in total with Baigum Abrahams retaining her title as the top Woman in South Africa. 

The TFA-SA is based on the ‘International Toughest Firefighter Alive’ Challenge, the blue riband event of the World Firefighter Games (WFG). The WFG started in Auckland, New Zealand in 1990 and is held in a different country every two years with the winner of the TFA Competition at the WFG being crowned the World’s Toughest Firefighter Alive, a very prestigious award.
The TFA-SA South Africa’s premier firefighter event was held for the first time in Cape Town at the Good Hope Centre in October 2011 with a total of approximately 80 competitors. The event has been primarily hosted in Cape Town, then in George in 2016 and with Mossel Bay hosting the event from 2022 until 2024. The 8th Edition of the event held in Mossel Bay 2023 attracted a South African record amount of 168 individual firefighter competitors’ participants, with 43 relay teams from 30 different municipalities and entities.

The Firefighters for Excellence Foundation - SA exists to promote and encourage elite fitness amongst firefighters, acknowledging the critical role fitness and wellness plays within the firefighting profession, in ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities. Individuals, municipalities, volunteer organisations, private firefighting companies and industrial and military firefighters are encouraged to support and partake in TFA-SA. The event provides the opportunity to collaborate and benchmark South Africa’s firefighters whilst enhancing service delivery through fitter, stronger firefighters, building community relations, motivating firefighters and restoring local and national pride in the fire services.

Hardus Botha