Heat put on battling firecrew

STOKED: Greytown volunteer firefighters Chris James (left), Russell Hooper, Dean Southey and Ryan Ingham. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

It's nicknamed "the toughest two minutes in sports", according to Greytown firefighter Dean Southey.

He is talking about the North Island Firefighting Combat Challenge, held in Te Awamutu last month, where the Greytown volunteer firefighting team managed fourth place overall in their first time competing as a team.

The team, known as the Mokopunas, consists of Dean Southey, Russell Hooper, Chris James and Ryan Ingham. All members also compete in individual events.

Competitors have to do such things as carry a 20kg hose up six flights of stairs and pull a further 20kg up by a rope.

Hooper was first up and managed a solid time of 2.45 minutes on the course. Southey described the effort as "showing all the elements of the film Rocky, beating his personal best time."

Ingham, a newby to the event, dug deep to cross the line in 4.45 minutes but the run of the day, according to Southey, belonged to James in the body drag component of the course.

"It drains air and strength from your body to the point where you collapse. Chris struggled with this, but he was the only fireman on the day that got the whole crowd behind him shouting and screaming support to get through the mental and physical boundaries.

"He crossed the line with an explosive fist pump into the air, showing his appreciation to the crowd as he collapsed to the ground."

Southey put in a huge effort himself to get through the course in 2.00 minutes flat (the original time was 1.58 but was pushed up due to a technicality). This time placed Southey third overall in the North Island.

Southey demonstrated the spirit of the sport in helping one of his competitors over the line to the detriment of his own time for the course.