If you need someone to hot-foot it to a fire, Queenstown firey Jake Neaves is your man.
The local volunteer fire brigade member was on fire at the recent Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games in Rotorua, attended by about 3000 police, fire and emergency personnel from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
The 31-year-old won golds for kart racing, triple jump, long jump, 400m and 4x100m relay, a silver for 100m and bronzes in the 200m and 800m races.
He’s ‘‘over the moon’’, he says.
‘‘Everything I competed in I got a medal for, which was quite cool, except indoor football — that was annoying.’’
First held in 1984, the Games are now run every two years, usually in Australia.
Neaves, who’s been a firefighter for nine years, the last five in Queenstown, says ‘‘I had a blast catching up with a lot of old mates and making a lot of new ones’’.
‘‘I’m already looking forward to the next Games in Tasmania, 2025.’’
