Cape Town’s firefighters have once again proven they are among the toughest and most skilled in the country, bringing home an impressive 25 medals — including 13 gold — from the annual Toughest Firefighter Alive competition held in George this past weekend.
Among the standout performers were Baigum Abrahams and Thobeka Senatse, who shared the title of Toughest Female Firefighter Alive, marking Abrahams’ third consecutive win. Abrahams also claimed gold in the women’s 30–34 age category, while Senatse topped the 45–49 category. Together with teammates Nomvuyiseko Lungile and Andiswa Stafa, the pair went on to dominate the women’s relay event, securing another gold medal for the City.
Lungile and Stafa added silver medals to their tally in individual categories, underlining the strength of Cape Town’s female firefighters in a competition that tests endurance, strength, and mental toughness through simulated firefighting challenges.
In the men’s events, veteran firefighter Jermaine Carelse shone in the 50–54 age group, winning gold, while the over-40s relay team of Carelse, Luton Grobbelaar, Mohammed Toufiek Armien, and Rudi van der Berg also took first place. The men’s open relay team, featuring Aneeb Moses, Bevan Jacobs, Timothy Malan, and Clint Fredericks, earned a strong silver finish.
Individual honours went to several other firefighters: silver medals for Timothy Malan (19–29), Frank Forbay (55–59), and Rudi van der Berg (45–49), and a bronze for Luton Grobbelaar. Volunteers from the City’s Disaster Risk Management unit also made their mark, with Angie Geyser from Milnerton claiming silver in the women’s 19–29 category.
More than 250 firefighters and 44 relay teams from across South Africa — joined by participants from Botswana and Namibia — competed in this year’s event, which pushes competitors to their limits through a series of physically demanding and technically complex tasks.
Alderman JP Smith, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, praised the team’s performance, calling it a reflection of their courage and professionalism. “Their achievements at the competition just confirm what we already know — they are some of the toughest, bravest, and most dedicated women and men in the country. They make us proud not just in competition, but every day as they step into the flames to protect lives and property,” he said.
The medal-winning firefighters hailed from fire stations across the city, including Mitchells Plain, Kraaifontein, Hout Bay, Wynberg, Lakeside, Epping, Constantia, Kommetjie Road, Goodwood, Simon’s Town, and Milnerton — a reminder that Cape Town’s fire services are powered by exceptional talent across all corners of the city.
Their collective success at this year’s competition is more than a sporting triumph — it’s a celebration of courage, teamwork, and the human spirit that defines South Africa’s first responders.
