For the first time since 2018, the Firefighter Challenge League returned to Lexington for the Southeast Regional Classic event.

The competition saw firefighter crews from around the world gather to compete in a rigorous obstacle course meant to put their abilities to the test.

This is stuff that we all compete to be.

We was just doing our job for our citizens.

These are the elite that decide to take it a step further.

It is its own sport.

Sometimes, you know, you look at it, you're like, Oh, I can't be that bad.

And then once you get out there, you realize that it it's a lot of effort, hard work, determination to get through it.

We wear our full turnout gear with CBA packs the sky and with the masks here on air, just like you would be in a fire, you're going to carry up a pack all the way to the top of the tower.

You know, hoist up a £42 bundle and you're going to come down the tower as fast as you can onto their Kaiser, where it's a sledgehammer hit, and then you go through these tight cones, grab the hard shoulder water, and then head over to rescue Randy and just hold on and try to go as fast as you can.

So you have the end.

It allows them to challenge themselves to get a little bit faster, a little bit faster.

So what they would normally be prepared to do and the first 10 minutes.

Some of these guys are putting in record numbers up there, 2 minutes or less.

The competitors are getting so much faster, the sport's getting faster, all the women are getting faster.

So it's just it's just such a fun energy.

Yesterday, I ran against a fireman and, you know, it's just it's nice to be able to to stick with the guys and push them and be a part of like the whole team sport because it's not easier for girls all the way to the same.

It is the same race.

So being able to, you know, push that barrier closer or push the barrier further away and get closer to the men's times is it's it's it's awesome.

And I'm really happy that I'm able to to do that especially you know, for for the females out here it's showing them that, you know, if we put our heads down and work and we will achieve those goal times that we're all chasing.

Laura that match level, they're able to do these skills that most of us can do in 8 to 10 minutes.

They're doing in 2 minutes.

It allows them to see how far they can push their body.

No different than the Olympics.

This is their Olympics.

It's exciting.

It's it's a community that is so supportive.

It's growing.

And it's your your responders and your cities and your towns and your local firefighters.

It's it's all all that on one hand, one field.

And it's awesome.

Everybody is so giving.

You know, people will help you if you want tips.

There's no secrets in the sport.

Everyone just wants to see everyone do well.

It's really neat to see because firefighters from all over the world, we have the same drive and purpose, a lot of the same training, a lot of same techniques.

But we're all from different cultures and backgrounds.

The way they do things is a little different than the way we do things, but our goals are still the same, and a lot of the techniques that we use are still the same.

So they they learn some things from us.

We learn some things from them in the air.

Nice, solid branding.

These guys are competing.

They want to beat each other, but they're hugging each other when it's over and they call each other brother and I call each other sister and they are telling each other that, Hey, I'm glad I'm competing against you when they they've never met before, but they're very much aware of what the other one trying to get here.

And it's really neat to see most every firefighter you ever meet when they meet another firefighter, it's the brother and sister that they've known forever.

Impressive display of fitness.

Thank you to our first responders for all they do.

The Firefighter Challenge League U.S. nationals will be held September 25th through the 28th, and Hoover, Alabama.