The following athlete profiles were provided by the World Police & Fire Games
Brittany Gaudreau brings grit and determination to every aspect of her life and career as a Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 dispatcher) with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. She will also be competing in her first 2023 World Police & Fire Games this summer. This is the first year the games expanded athlete eligibility to include 911 dispatchers
Gaudreau has worked as a 911 dispatcher for the past two years and has been training in CrossFit for the past three years. Gaudreau is excited to showcase her skills and represents the often-overlooked role of dispatchers.
“The World Police & Fire Games is an opportunity to have fun but also showcase the physical abilities that first responders need to do our jobs,” said Gaudreau, who is proud and excited to represent 911 dispatchers for the Games as this is the first year she is eligible to compete.
Often the public may forget that 911 dispatchers are part of the first responder community. We are here for citizens and are often their first point of contact on the hardest days of their lives. Dispatchers are a super vital part of the service.
Her journey of becoming a first responder was not easy. She was accepted into Brandon Fire College and opted to quit her full-time job to go back to school to study there. After her schooling, she applied right away for dispatch.
“I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to kind of get a bird's eye view of the service as a whole and just see how everything worked,” she said.
Gaudreau believes it is very important to do whatever you can to be healthy in all aspects of your life.
Being a 911 dispatcher comes with its unique demands, including irregular shifts and unpredictable hours. This was hard for Gaudreau because she enjoys being active and traditional recreational sports teams were too challenging to commit to due to her schedule. Once Gaudreau discovered CrossFit she knew it was the right fit for her.
I think being active is important for first responders because I think that you have a duty and an obligation to your partners and to the public to uphold a certain level of fitness: both mentally and physically.
The 2023 Games are in Winnipeg, which is Gaudreau's hometown. She never expected to be able to participate in the Games but was excited to watch the competition. With eligibility opening up she jumped at her chance to compete in CrossFit as she had already been training for a few years. She cannot wait to compete and meet other first responders from around the world.
“It's kind of a once in a lifetime experience for me to participate in the Games when they are here in my hometown and to have all your friends and family be able to come and watch,” said Gaudreau.
“You owe it to your community, your colleagues, partners and yourself to maintain that level of activity and to make sure that you are fit for the job. It makes me proud to serve the people of Winnipeg in my role, and even more proud to highlight that as a competitor in the Games this summer.”
Bringing the World Police & Fire Games to Winnipeg
When you think of the World Police & Fire Games in Winnipeg, a certain face comes to mind: Chad Swayze. A determined athlete, firefighter with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, and a decorated archer and champion in the World Police & Fire Games, Swayze also serves as Board Chair for the 2023 World Police & Fire Games here in Winnipeg this summer.
Swayze became a firefighter at 21 years old and began competing in the Games when he discovered a World Police & Fire Games poster at his firehall. Many of his colleagues crowded around the poster and decided to put together a dragon boat team for that year’s Games.
Over the years, Swayze saw and learned the importance of the Games. He saw what the Games could do for host cities and thought it would be an excellent opportunity for Winnipeg.
Swayze is one of the “core four” (the four Winnipeg athletes) who worked to bring the 2023 World Police & Fire Games to Winnipeg. With much passion and dedication, his hard work paid off as he succeeded in bringing the games to Winnipeg for 2023.
"What have we just done," Swayze said with excitement and shock when he found out Winnipeg had won the bid to host the Games.
Since then, he has put a lot of time and work to ensure an amazing experience for all athletes attending this summer in Winnipeg. Growing up, Swayze always had a passion for sports. His love started with soccer at the age of seven, then he started shooting archery and found a love for the sport. At thirteen, he started shooting in archery competitions and has won multiple medals and trophies, including many from the World Police & Fire Games
Since he enjoys competing in target archery 900 rounds (shooting 90 arrows with your best possible score being 900), he has a different way of training than the other competitors. Swayze trains by shooting 125-175 arrows daily in preparation for the games.
"It takes more mental work compared to physical, but there is certainly a physical aspect as well," said Swayze.
He has competed in many Games and has many memories, but his best memory was when he got the Games flag handed to him in 2022 in The Netherlands, knowing he was bringing the tradition to Winnipeg.
Getting the official flag handed over to me felt like a way of the Federation saying ‘congrats for winning the bid, now show us what you got.’
He also loves meeting people from all around the world.
"I have friends in Belgium, Iceland, USA, Ireland, Australia, and many more countries. I look forward to catching up with everyone in person each WPFG and now this year, it’s in my home town."
Through his years of firefighting and competing in the Games, he has learned how important participating in the Games is. He found joy in the training aspect and has gained many connections and friends with people who work in the same field.
He believes sport is incredibly important for first responders; it is perfect for building mental and physical health. It is safe to say the World Police & Fire Games is such a life-changing event, and it brings people from all over the world to connect and enjoy a friendly sports competition together.
The World Police & Fire Games runs July 28 to August 6, 2023. Over the 10 days, athletes from around the world will compete in over 60 sports. Events will be taking place at multiple venues in and around Winnipeg. Admission is free to all events.