It's been called "the toughest two minutes in sports."
And Cambridge firefighter Kelly Campbell was up to the task.
The Firefighter Challenge League pits firefighters against the clock as they make their way through a physically taxing obstacle course attempting to emerge with the top time.
The league runs events across the United States.
Campbell didn't just represent the Cambridge Fire Department at the season opener earlier this month in Indianapolis, Ind., she brought home the gold medal in the under 40 women's Division II category with a time of 2:46:01.
She was also part of the winning relay team from Canada and finished third in a tandem relay event.
"I was elated," Campbell said.
"I’m still working my way up and getting more competitive. When I saw I won Division II, I was over the moon."
The course may be over in a blink of an eye, but it's anything from a walk in the park.
Competitors begin by hauling a 45 pound hose up six flights of stairs before heading down the stairs with a 45 pound hose hoist.
From there, they perform a forcible entry with a sledge hammer and hit a target with a fully charged hose. In between, they race around cones.
To close out the course, they carry 165 pound dummy to the finish line.
Campbell recalls the first time she ever attempted the course back in 2022 and admits she's come a long way in the two years since.
"I went to St. Catharines and didn't do very well," she said with a laugh.
"It was the first race I ever ran and after that I was hooked. It's the atmosphere, everyone was so supportive, everyone wants to see you race your best time. It's you against your own time and its fun to see incremental speed increases as you get better."
To prepare for the race, Campbell is in the gym doing crossfit style workouts five to six days a week.
When the weather began to turn in March, she headed to the Waterloo Region Emergency Services Training and Research Centre (WRESTRC) in Kitchener twice a week where they have a replica of the course.
Campbell emphasized her success wouldn't have been possible without the support of her department and coworkers.
"Everyone has been super supportive," she said.
"I think they were more excited than I was. They've been like that since I started."
As for what's next, she has 10 more events she plans on taking part in this year, including next month back in Indiana.
To close out her season, she'll head to Nashville in October for the World Challenge.
