The 59th annual event for first responder athletes takes place over a week in San Diego, with hundreds competing at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
The 59th annual US Police and Fire Championships spread across San Diego June 13 through 20, bringing 144 of the 3,000 first responder athletes to Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla June 17.
Started in 1967 by San Diego police lieutenant Veon “Duke” Nyhus and originally called the California Police Olympics, the US Police and Fire Championships has since expanded, now including 40 different sporting events including baseball, archery and bench press, at 33 San Diego venues.
The event is hosted by the California Police Athletic Federation, a nonprofit aimed at promoting sports and physical fitness among first responders, who hail from across the country.
“We are thrilled to have lasted this long,” said Jim King, president of CPAF.
“Torrey is the highlight of the entire thing,” King said, adding that golf “is the premier sport of our games.”
The event athletes who get to tee up at Torrey, host to world-class PGA tournaments and other prestigious events, are excited to play at the premium La Jolla course, he added.
It’s not only the games that have expanded over the years, but also the breadth of public servants invited to participate in the US Police and Fire Championships, King said.
No longer just police officers and firefighters, the athletes now include emergency medical service members and customs and corrections officers from local, state and federal agencies.
CPAF has also extended eligibility beyond active and retired professionals to volunteers and agency personnel like dispatchers, King said.
“Public safety learned a lot about itself going back to COVID,” he said. “It taught us that a first responder is not just police or fire that wears that badge. … We certainly want to welcome all those folks to our games.”
The importance of the weeklong championships, King emphasized, is supporting the mental wellness, recovery and rest processes for all public servants.
“They’re difficult jobs,” he said, noting the athletes look forward to returning to San Diego annually to “relax and enjoy some friendly competition [and] enjoy the great weather.”
The participants embody the event slogan: “Commitment, camaraderie and competition,” King said.
“That’s the true thing about being a public servant.”
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