FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Two hometown heroes from St. Lucie County are now world champions after dominating last year's World Firefighter Challenge.
Brian Riebe and Kayla Gammie, both graduates of the Indian River State College (IRSC) Fire Academy, showcased the skills that earned them international titles.
At a special demonstration held Monday at Indian River State College, the two demonstrated tower climbs, hose advancements and other high-intensity events — all performed in full 50-pound firefighting gear.
Riebe set a new world record to become the Overall Male Champion, while Gammie broke a record in the Female Division 2 category, winning her division and putting St. Lucie County on the global map.
"(The award is) super special," Gammie said. (I was) born and raised here and to kind of come back around full circle with it and still be here and give back a little bit to the community that supported us."
Riebe credited their training at IRSC for their success.
"To showcase that where we learned to be firefighters kind of translated into us being top-level athletes within the firefighter challenge," Riebe said. (It's) all because of IRSC giving us this platform to put in the work. We're super grateful."
Both firefighters said they're proud to represent the community that gave them their start — proving that hard work, heart and hometown pride can lead to world-class success.
