Cape Town’s best are getting ready to prove their mettle at the Toughest Firefighter Alive Challenge this October, putting their physical strength and lifesaving skills to the ultimate test.
Cape Town, South Africa (22 September 2025) – The Toughest Firefighter Alive Challenge is happening this October, and Cape Town’s best are gearing up to flex their relentless physical stamina and lifesaving prowess!
The TFA is a South African-based competition that tests firefighters’ mental and physical fitness by simulating demanding firefighting scenarios. Modelled on the international TFA Challenge, the event is considered the toughest in South Africa, with competitors from various fire services, volunteer organisations, and private companies.
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In last year’s run, the City’s firefighters performed exceptionally and achieved the major feat of bringing home 10 medals.
For Divisional Commander, Luton Grobelaar, the competition is both a physical and mental one that keeps him coming back for more.
“I guess this is the reason we all keep going back. It’s testing yourself against your teams as well as yourself. Most of us train four to five times a week. Most of these guys stay on shift. We train while we’re off shift,” Grobelaar explained.
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Most of the training entails long-distance running for endurance, Hyrox for cardio, as well as weight training for strength.
Firefighter Bevan Jones shared that even though he received a medal in the relay event last year, this year he hopes to do better in the individual categories.
“I’ve got my goals that I’ve set this year with regards to times, etc., but I definitely want to improve on the individual side for this year’s competition,” Jones said.
While Mario Veldsman reflected on the limited time and high-pressure nature of the competition, Grobelaar affirmed that the TFA ultimately makes him a better firefighter because of it.
These sentiments were shared by Baigum Abrahams – South Africa’s reigning Toughest Female Firefighter Alive. Last year, she successfully defended her title in the women’s 18-29 age category, securing gold for herself and the City of Cape Town.
This year, Baigum has been training whenever she gets a gap and hopes to keep the winning streak alive.
“You’re going out there, testing where you’re at and coming back stronger. And doing your best. There’s not always a set routine for me, but I always make sure that I have my training equipment in the boot of my car so that wherever I am, I can just do a quick circuit.”
Other female firefighting trailblazers to look out for are Andiswa Stafa and Nomvuyiseko Lungile, who are excited to put months of training to the test.
We don’t doubt that all these brave men and women will put up the toughest fight and make us proud.
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