Ben Gallaher wins Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'World's Strongest Firefighter'

Ben Gallaher wins Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'World's Strongest Firefighter'

OVER THE WEEKEND -- BEN GALLAHERCOMPETED FORTHE TITLE AND WON.IN AN EMERGENCY.

WE RELY ON THESTRENGTH OFFIRST RESPONDERS TO SAVE THEDAY.

AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS ONEOF KERN COUNTY'S VERY OWN--KCFDFIRE ENGINEER BEN GALLAHER HASWON THE TITLE OF THEWORLD'S STRONGEST FIREFIGHTERNAT: I'M THE WORLD'S STRONGESTFIREFIGHTER 2020GALLAHER TOOK PART IN ACOMPETITION PUT ON BY SOMEONEWHO KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUTSTRENGTH.FORMER MISTER UNIVERSE... BESTKNOW FOR PLAYING THE ROLEOF THE TERMINATOR...WH OEVENTUALLY BECAME THEGOVERNATOR OF CALIFORNIA -ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGE R.NATSFIREFIGHTERS AT THE ARNOLDSTRONGMAN CLASSIC WENTHEAD TO HEAD ALL FOR THE PURPOSEOF HELPING MEN AND WOMEN WHODEMONSTRATE PHYSICAL ANDEMOTIONAL STRENGTH ON THEJOB EVERYDAY"HE PUT THIS ON FOR THEFIREFIGHTERS TOBE ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO THECOMMUNITIES AND GIVE BACK TO THEFIREFIGHTERS WHOSE FAMILIES WEREEFFECTED WHO WERE INJURED ORKILLED IN THE LINE OFDUTY AND IT JUST MEANS THE WORLDTO US AS FIREFIGHTERS TO HAVESOMEONELIKE ARNOLD THINK THAT'SIMPORTANT."HAVING COMPETED IN SEVERALCROSSFIT ANDLIFTING COMPETITIONS BEFORE.GALLAHER WASALREADY FAMILIAR WITH BALANCINGTHE PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THEJOB.

WITH THE PREPARATION OF ACOMPETITION.

TRAIN THE EVENTSTHREE DAYS A WEEK AS HARD AS ICOULD AND THENI WOULD KIND OF DO SOMETECHNIQUE WORK ON DAY FOURBUT HE SAYS HE'S NEVER TRAINEDFOR SOMETHING QUITE LIKE THIS.9 COMPETITORS FROM ALL OVER THECOUNTRY AND EVEN THE WORLDPUT THEIR MUSCLE TO THE TESTS INDIFFERENTSTRENGTH SKILLS THATFIREFIGHTERS EXPERIENCE INREAL LIFE SITUATIONS...EARN INGPOINTS FOR HOW THEYRANKED IN EACH EVENT ALONG THEWAY.

"WE HAD A 200 LB SANDBAGCARRY AS ONE OF THE EVENTS SOYOUPICK IT UP AND YOU CARRY IT FORAS LONG AS YOU CAN POSSIBLYCARRY IT FOR SO YOU KNOW WE ENDUP IN SITUATIONS ALLTHE TIME YOU HEAR ABOUTFIREMAN'S CARRY.

CARRYINGPEOPLE.

AND THAT'S WHAT THATIS."GALLAHER SAYS IT WAS A CLOSECONTEST...THERE WERE SOME REALLY STRONGCOMPETITORS.BUT THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND ENERGYHELPED HIMPOWER THROUGH"THE ATMOSPHERE WAS UNREAL LIKEA COUPLE THOUSANDCHEERING FANS.THE GOVERNATOR ISSITTING LIKE TWOFEET AWAY FROM YOU CHEERING YOUON.

AND THEN THECOMPETITORS TOO, THE PEOPLE THATI COMPETED AGAINST WE ARECHEERING FOR EACH OTHER BECAUSETHIS IS JUST SUCH A COOLEXPERIENCE.

YOU WANT TO SEE THEOTHER PEOPLE DO WELL ALSO."SCHWARZENEGGER HIMSELF AWARDEDGALLAHER WITH AGOLDEN AXE...MEDAL...AND THETITLE OF WORLD'SSTRONGEST FIREFIGHTER.I HAVE BEEN HAVING A HARD TIMEPUTTING INTO WORDS EVERSINCE THEN... I DONT KNOW HOW TOTOP IT.

I THINK THAT'S IT.LAUGHINGSO WILL GALLAHER BE BACK UP FORTHE CHALLENGE NEXTYEAR?WELL FIRST OF ALL I GOT TODEFEND THE TITLE.

AND SECOND OFALLWE RAISED OVER A 100,000 FORCHARITY WITH THIS EVENT... IWOULD ABSOLUTELY DO THAT AGAINGALLAHER SAYS HIS WIFE ISACTUALLY A WEEK OUT FROM HERDUE DATE SO THE POSSIBILITY OF ABABY ON THE WAY ANY MINUTE WASDEFINITELY ON HIS MIND.

BUT HE'SHOPING NEXT YEAR THAT BABYBOY WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH HIMDEFEND THE TITLE.