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Chris Wallace spends a lot of time working out in order to prepare for the World's Strongest Firefighter competition.
Chris Wallace poses with an atlas ball, which is a common piece of equipment used by weighlifters.
A Barnwell firefighter will soon compete for the title of World’s Strongest Firefighter.
Chris Wallace, 39, of Barnwell, will travel to Columbus, Ohio for the competition held March 2-5 at Arnold Sports Festival. Famous bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger started the annual multi-sport event in 1989 as the Arnold Classic. The firefighter competition was added a few years ago and raises money for fallen firefighters.
“It’s a bunch of pro-athletes showcasing different avenues of fitness. You can find something you like and get healthy doing it,” said Wallace, son of Marvilea and the late George Wallace Jr.
After submitting a video to organizers of the event, Wallace received an invitation to register for the 2023 competition.
“I’ve been training ever since,” he said.
That training varies day by day, but everything is focused on making him stronger. He splits his workouts between the YMCA in Barnwell and Spud Inc., which is a powerlifting gym in Columbia.
Strength is needed for the very physical competitions, such as an axe hold with two 25-pound axes, a 900-pound seated arm over arm pull, and a fire hydrant load. The competition is split over two days with qualifiers on the first day and the top 12 finishers competing in the finals on day two.
“It really does test everything,” said Wallace.
This opportunity is a dream come true for Wallace, who grew up watching Strong Man competitions on television in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He will now be in the presence of some of those famous bodybuilders, including Flex Wheeler and Schwarzenegger.
“I thought it was the most interesting sport,” said Wallace. But, at the time, he didn’t know how to get involved. “I kept that dream in back of my head.”
After talking about competing for years but never following through, his wife Megan signed him up for the 2018 Norse Highlander competition in North Carolina. “She said either show up or quit talking about it,” said Wallace.
That competition solidified his interest in the sport and led him to attend other competitions, including the South Carolina Strongest Man competition last year.
“That was an eye-opening experience. It’s ridiculous what the human body is capable of,” he said.
While Strong Man competitions are ultra-competitive like other sports, Wallace said competitors actually “want to see you do better than them because it pushes them to do better.”
With the World’s Strongest Firefighter competition one month away, Wallace looks forward to representing his community, state, and the fire departments he’s associated with.
“We need to bring recognition to firefighters across country. We need to boost our numbers,” said Wallace of how many fire departments across the country are seeing a decrease in the number of volunteers.
He encourages anyone with an interest in service to find a place to volunteer. It could turn into a career like it has for Wallace.
“You get out of it what you put into it. I love being able to provide a service to the community by helping other people,” he said.
After graduating from Barnwell High School in 2001, Wallace joined the U.S. Army. He graduated from basic training two days after the twin towers fell during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Army veteran joined the City of Barnwell’s fire department about eight years ago. He now is a lieutenant for McCrady Fire & Rescue at McCrady Army National Guard Training Center in Columbia. He continues to volunteer with Barnwell.
Wallace wants to start an introduction to strength sports in Barnwell, possibly in conjunction with the YMCA.
Anyone interested in donating towards Wallace’s travel expenses for the competition can do so at https://gofund.me/18bd7a60.
