10 ~ North Shore News - Wednesday, September 27, 2000 Firefighter breaks record Katharine Hamer News Reporter khamer@usurws.com IT’S only been two years since Andrea Belezyk became a firclighter. but already she’s top of her field in competition. The North Vancouver cosident, who works ior the Vancouver Fire Department, broke the long-standing wonsen’s record time held by American Martha Ells during the Canadian National Firefighter Combat Chaflenge Championships Moncton, N.B. caclier this month. “Tt was very exciting.” Beleavk said, “LT was really hoping to win. It was a close race, a hard race. P'm more than thrilled.” Beleyzk bested Ellis” ume of wo minutes 28 seconds by a second, coming in at two minutes 27 seconds. She is now ranked as the fastest woman fo ever complete the course and there are high hopes for her performance at the World Championships in Las Vegas in November. Male and female competitors are timed separately, so Beleyzk’s record did not count towards her team’s final score. Belezyk competed on a team alongside three men from the Vancouver Fire Department. The three fastest teams go forward in the competition. The Vancouver team came 22nd. NEWS photo Cindy Goodman ~ Bargain books TANYA Tervit looked at a book for,sale last weekend at the Capilano branch library. Some readers inad- vertently showed up at Capilano Mail for the sale. Thirty five teams trom across Canada attended the national competion, in which three tative member teams take a run at fhe events wearing fll turnout gear and air masks. The challenges j mchude asta chimb with a 45th. 20.4 kat hose pack — Andrea's best event, she said = forerble entry dri ving a 1O5-Ib. (74.8 key beam five feet o).5 a and dragging a ITS th. (794 kyr victim 100 feet (30.5 mi. A former secondary school teacher, Belevzk didn’t decide antil she was 40 te train asa firefizluer. She is one of only a handful of remale firetighters in the departnent. “Tt was an adjustment for the men.” she said, * used to having women around.” She sad. though, that the gays are great, and have been gis ing her alot of support, She said it was “a natural progression” to start: competing once she joined the fire department, because the events in the competition are the same as dose required to enter and exit the lustice Institute as a trainee. Her active training, regimen includes event simulation, run- tirs, hili sprints, and weight lifting. am Vancouver” are holding a fundraiser event Oct. 21 at Malone's Bar and Grill downtown. Tickets are $10 at the door and there will be door prizes and a draw. All money raised will go to sending Andrea and the team down to Las Vegas. The Canadian Championships can be seen 8 a.m. Oct. 28 on TSN. they weren't Kindness message brought to White House From page3 rare, — which is ride our bieyeles a tremendous distance — to show what's common with all Reople. ... kindness.” Tully, who now fives in the West End, uraduated from West Van High in 1965 and re eurned to his alma mater to teach not long after donning the mortarboard. He also worked as a lifeguard at the beach at Ambleside for nine years, Along his tour, Tully would stop and hold talks at seniors centres, hospitals and schools that tell in his path. He also vis- ited the White Heuse and dropped in on the Governor General in Ottawa. When Tully and his entourage of five wheeled into town last Sunday, they were met by five Vancouver police officers on motorcycles who escorted them from Robson Street to the Renaissance Harbourside on West Hastings, where they were met by a throng of well-wishers. He had a tough go during much of the journey, he said. In Texas Tully siegotiated 20 fat tires over a two-day span — not to mention superhighways with no shoulders. He also suffered through 70 consecutive days of record- breaking 95 F (35 C) temperatures on his trek through the southern U.S. It’s not Tully's first long-haul cycling expedition, though. Three decades ago he travelled nearly 17,000 kilometres (10,563 miles) through the Western U.S. States and Mexico. A few things have changed since then, though. “Getting older is tough,” said Tully. “Your bady doesn't recover quite as fast. Most of the time I was pretty sore.” But don't rule out another cross-continent trip for Tully sometime-in the distant future: “Maybe in 30 years, when [’m 83 and I forget how tough it was,” Tully laughed. ADVENTURES IN LUXURY. 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