Four New Taipei City firefighters, dressed in full gear, stole the show at the globally popular fitness competition HYROX held in Taipei on February 28.

In a scene filled with sparsely dressed athletes, firefighters stand out conspicuously.

HYROX, a global fitness event originating from Germany, was held on Saturday, February 28, at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, attracting many fitness enthusiasts. However, four firefighters, dressed in professional disaster relief gear, became a highlight of the competition.

All members of the New Taipei City Fire Department, the firefighters’ impressive physical strength drew praise and cheers from the audience.

The HYROX competition combines both running and diverse exercises, where participants run a kilometer, followed by a functional workout station, repeated eight times. 

New Taipei City Fire Department Special Search and Rescue Brigade member Huang Chao-yang (黃兆揚) details that wearing gear and carrying air cannisters during training, an estimated 20 kilograms of extra weight, is very similar to being in a fire scene. Because their job involves high-intensity operations in a short period of time, he says that they figured a full firefighting kit for this event would be manageable. Huang adds that he is happy to see people still really value firefighters and encourage them in this sport.

These four heroes showcased their powerful strength, courage, and determination, proving that they can not only handle the heat of competition but also that the public can trust them with their safety.