SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) - Muscles, rescue gear and stage lights filled a Seoul fire academy on Thursday as firefighters stepped briefly away from emergency calls to compete for a place in one of the city’s most unusual charity campaigns.
The Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters held its 15th annual “Bodybuilder Firefighter Contest” at the Seoul Fire Academy in northwestern Seoul, where 29 firefighters — including 25 men and four women — competed in mandatory posing and freestyle performance rounds.
The competition serves a purpose beyond fitness and trophies. Winners are selected as models for the annual “Bodybuilder Firefighter Hope Sharing Calendar,” a charity project that raises funds for severely burned patients struggling with medical expenses.
Contestants were judged on muscular balance, conditioning and stage presentation, while freestyle performances incorporated firefighting helmets, hoses and rescue equipment to reflect the realities of emergency work.
Lee Sung-woo of the Special Rescue Team won the grand prize and received the Seoul mayor’s award, while Park Sung-hyuk of Jongno Fire Station took the top excellence award. Twelve firefighters in total were selected for this year’s calendar project.
The chosen participants will take part in an official photo shoot on May 15, ahead of the calendar’s release on Nov. 9. Proceeds from sales and donations will go toward treatment costs for burn victims.
According to Seoul fire authorities, the charity calendar campaign has continued since 2015 and has become one of the department’s signature public outreach projects. Over the past 12 years, it has raised about 1.25 billion won ($900,000) and helped support 302 severely burned patients facing financial hardship.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
