FWC officer takes the gold, sets new world record at police games
FWC officer takes the gold, sets new world record at police games
He took the gold medal and set a new world’s record for weightlifting. No, it wasn’t a participant in the Olympics in Beijing. It was a little closer to home.
Officer Billy Giles with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) took ‘em
by storm at the 2008 International Police & Fire Games held at the Walt Disney World Resort Aug. 16-23.
These games provide the opportunity for world-class competition among law enforcement officers in more than 40 different sports, while offering the competitors a chance to get to know their global colleagues, according to game officials. More than 6,000 law enforcement and fire personnel participated in this event.
Giles, a K-9 officer assigned to Columbia County, participated in the powerlifting games, where competitors were required to do the squat, dead lift and bench press for their scores. The old record for the bench press was 430 pounds. Giles topped that by pressing 455.
"Actually, I should have had 475, but my arm was out of position," Giles said. "My total score was 1,455. I lifted 500 pounds in the squat, 500 pounds in the dead lift and benched 455."
Second place came in at 1,405 pounds, and third lifted a total of 1,400.
Giles participated in the Florida Police and Fire Games in June.
"I started training in January and wanted to see what I could do. I got three silver medals at the Florida games," Giles said. "I lifted a total of 1,205 pounds in June. So I increased my total by 250 pounds at the International games."
Giles credits his success to serious training at the Future Fitness gym in Lake City.
"My trainer, Toby Irby, really helped me," Giles said. "He showed me techniques that allowed me to lift more weight."
In addition to the two gold medals Giles won at the International games (both for weightlifting), he received a silver medal for arm wrestling.
Next on the agenda for Giles is the World Police and Fire Games scheduled to be held in British Columbia next year. Giles stated he wants to stay in shape and set another record in 2009.
"Officer Billy Giles is an exceptional officer with a desire to protect Florida’s natural resources and the people he serves. He’s a K-9 handler who can be called out to work the 17 counties in the North Central Region with his four-legged ‘partner,’ Parker," said Capt. Roy Brown, area supervisor at the Lake City regional office.
Giles has a strong work ethic and a drive to succeed both on and off duty as demonstrated by his involvement with the Police Olympics, Brown pointed out.
"He keeps himself in top physical condition, which enables him to perform the arduous requirements of being an FWC K-9 Officer," Brown said. "We’re proud of Officer Giles’s accomplishments and proud to have him as a member of the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement."
