Campers rise to the Challenge to raise funds for Camp Phoenix!

By Casandra Turnbull

Mounties Report

Camp Phoenix is just under two weeks away and this year’s campers got a little taste of what to expect during a fundraising event hosted in coordination with Pure Impact Athletics last Friday night at the Cainsville Fire Hall.

Seventeen of the 20 campers selected to partake in this year’s Camp Phoenix, along with seven alumni from last year’s inaugural camp, met to participate in the Pure Phoenix Challenge to raise money for the camp which takes place July 12 -16 at the Cainsville Fire Station

The June 23rd fundraiser was a joint effort between some of the camp organizers/instructors and Amber Tait, owner of Pure Impact Fitness. They created a DEKA-inspired fitness challenge at the fire hall that not only tested the girls’ strength and endurance but also solidified some bonds as they prepare to report to camp later this month.

“They were absolutely amazing! They pushed hard and gave it everything they had,” said Lisa Herbert, a County of Brant Firefighter and one of the lead coordinators/instructors for Camp Phoenix For the challenge, the girls were divided into two teams and competed in decathlon style fitness course spread out over 10 different zones. DEKA strong fitness is a type of training geared toward functional movements, pushing limits and is truly accessible for people of all fitness levels, describes Herbert. “Amber is so passionate about community and meaningful impact, she jumped right in when I shared the idea with her,” Herbert added. Tait confirmed her excitement when it came to collaborating on this event. “We were very excited to partner with Camp Phoenix because we know that fitness can create a bond and community like no other,” said Tait Continued on page 12

To serve and rescue effectively and successfully, teamwork, communication and physical fitness are essential, she said. “It is critical as a first responder that all involved are working together towards a common goal for the best possible outcome and that's exactly what this alignment is all about. Empowering the Phoenixes to work together towards a common goal, while challenging physical fitness and mental toughness,” said Tait. Herbert noted that the fitness challenge also gave the campers’ families an opportunity to see what kind of community exists within a fire hall, which only adds to the excitement leading into Camp Phoenix.

It wasn’t just upcoming and alumni campers taking part in last Friday’s fundraising challenge. Two County of Brant Firefighters decided they wanted to participate in the fun, so they donned full firefighting gear, including air tanks, to complete the challenges!

Camp Phoenix, an immersive camp offered to girls 14-18 years of age with a keen interest in pursuing firefighting as a career, is funded entirely by community donations. This year’s fundraising goal was $3,000 but to the surprise of organizers, campers have exceeded that goal with more than $4,000 collected through pledges, social media campaigns and the Pure Impact Athletics challenge Herbert said the new goal is $5,000 and anything in excess will be used to fund the camp, hopefully, for years to come

“With only 5% of career firefighters in Canada being women, Camp Phoenix shows campers that they have the physical and mental abilities to be successful as firefighters,” said Herbert. “During the 2022 experience, campers successfully rescued a firefighter in full gear (approx. 300lbs) from a threestorey fire tower in record time.”

Eight of the 2022 Camp Phoenix alumni are welcomed back as Leaders-in-Training for the 2023 camp where they will invest in the next generation of Phoenixes while building leadership skills and furthering their experience in the Fire Service. This year’s camp will run in similar format to last year’s

– offering the girls a hands-on experience all areas of fire prevention and suppression, search and rescue, auto extrication, basic first aid skills and an overview of all variety of first responder roles from OPP to paramedics and dispatch communications

“We end camp with what we call the Phoenix Fit Challenge (similar to a Fire Fit Challenge) where they complete a fire obstacle course in platoons, using skills they learned through the week. They finish it off by pulling a fire truck across the finish line,” said Herbert. And new this year will be the addition of the Paris Station#1 aerial truck, which will be on site during of the camp days.

It’s not too late to contribute If you’d like to make a financial donation or sponsor a camper, the website remains open until July 14.