When Michelle Beaulieu first heard about the World Police and Fire Games, she knew it was something she wanted to be a part of. The Estevan police constable recently returned from the international event, where she competed in CrossFit for the first time and earned a silver medal in her age category.
Beaulieu and her husband spent five days in Birmingham, Alabama at the Games, which brought together first responders from around the globe. The event, styled like the Olympics, featured more than 60 sports and participants from about 70 countries.
“There were athletes from all over the world with incredible strengths and skills,” said Beaulieu. “It was really neat to see them perform and compete. Everyone was cheering each other on. It was less about competition and more about supporting one another.”
Beaulieu had been training steadily for a year ahead of the event. She hired a CrossFit coach from New York in July 2024 and trained five to six days a week, sometimes for two hours a day. Preparing for the Games was not without its challenges. An injury two weeks before the competition set her back slightly, but she was still able to compete and finish strong.
With no dedicated CrossFit facility available locally, Beaulieu did much of her preparation at Encompass Fitness. She credited Brady Friess at Encompass for helping make her training possible by providing space and equipment for her workouts.
“She was a huge part of me being able to go,” Beaulieu explained. “CrossFit involves a lot of gymnastics movements and weightlifting, and without that space I would not have been able to train the way I needed to.”
The World Police and Fire Games offered Beaulieu the chance to connect with other first responders who share her passion for fitness. “Our main job is not fitness,” she said, “but it was inspiring to see people from all walks of life, all over the world, pushing themselves and cheering each other on.”
Looking ahead, Beaulieu is already considering her next competition. She and her coach are exploring local events, and she is thinking about competing again when the World Police and Fire Games head to Australia in 2027.