It was a quiet midnight shift in The Pas, Manitoba, when Cpl. Jeff Schirr opened an email that would quietly change the course of his life. It mentioned the World Police and Fire Games, a global competition for first responders.
“I didn’t know much about it, but the idea of competing with people from around the world, all in service, it lit something in me.”
At the time, Jeff was early in his career, fresh out of Depot, and weighing around 160 pounds. But he had already begun reshaping his lifestyle, training hard and building the kind of strength and endurance that policing and sport demand.
“I wasn’t great at any one sport, but I was decent across the board. That’s when I found the Toughest Competitor Alive (TCA) event. It was eight events: running, swimming, climbing, lifting, and sprinting. It felt like it was made for someone like me.”
He began training for the 2021 Games, which were to be held in the Netherlands, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the event was postponed. Despite this, Jeff kept training, and when the Games resumed in 2022, he was ready. He walked away with three gold medals and a top 10 finish in the half marathon. But something didn’t sit right.
“I had trained for years, won gold, and stood on the podium alone. It felt empty … I realized I didn’t have a good enough ‘why.’ I needed to compete for something bigger than myself.”
That shift in mindset changed everything. In the lead-up to the 2023 Games, Jeff began training with his family in mind, especially his grandmother, who helped raise him.
“She was in her late 80s, and I knew her time with us was limited. I wanted her to be part of it.” After winning silver in the TCA, Jeff found her in the crowd and placed the medal around her neck. “Her face lit up. I cried. That moment meant more than any medal ever could.” Since then, Jeff has made it a tradition to dedicate his medals to family, teammates, and mentors. “I’ve passed on more than ten medals now. It’s about sharing the moment, giving someone else that pride. It sticks with them.”
In 2015 Jeff also achieved another major milestone: he earned a spot on the RCMP’s Emergency Response Team (ERT). “Getting on ERT was a huge goal for me. It’s something I worked toward for years, and it shaped how I trained, not just for the Games, but for the job.”
This year, at the 2025 World Police and Fire Games in Birmingham, Jeff continued to reach new heights. After assembling an all-ERT team to compete in the Team TCA event, they delivered a gold medal performance.
“It was the first time Canada had won gold in that event, and the first time an all-ERT team had done it. We weren’t just competing for ourselves, we were representing the entire ERT program. Seeing the pride in my teammates’ eyes, and knowing their families were watching, made it unforgettable.”
Not only was 2025 a win for the TCA team, but Jeff also earned the highest overall score in the world. But instead of holding the Canadian flag on the podium, he raised the banner of the National Reintegration Program, a peer-led RCMP initiative that supports members returning to work after an absence or critical event, a cause close to his heart.
“I wanted to represent something that matters to RCMP Members. That banner sparked conversations with athletes from other countries. It gave me a chance to talk about the importance of mental health and recovery in policing.”
For Jeff, the World Police and Fire Games have become more than a competition. They’re a place to test limits, to represent the RCMP and Canada with pride, to celebrate with loved ones, and to build lasting relationships with fellow athletes and officers from around the world.
“I’ve met so many incredible people, including fellow RCMP Members and athletes from all over. The Games have given me a platform to connect, to serve, and to share something meaningful.”
His story is a reminder that the most powerful victories aren’t measured in medals but in the people we share them with and the purpose behind them.
