Two years after his passing, Greg Cameron’s competitive spirit and passion for athletics is still going strong through the Firemen’s Fund Biathlon.
Hundreds gathered at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area for the second annual biathlon to celebrate the life of Cameron, a firefighter, paramedic and fire-rescue specialist who died in 2012 after an extended bout with cancer.
Lifeguard Jason Freitas took home top overall honors with an overall time of 11 minutes and 26 seconds, more than a minute better than public safety officer Tai Scarbrough (12:43). Paul Tucker rounded out the podium at 12:51.
Twelve-year-old rising star Leah DeCleene recorded top female honors with a time of 14 minutes, flat. Mina Poppas (14:59) and Ashley Rynkewicz (15:20) finished second and third, respectively. The top three females in the race were all out of the 1-19 age division.
Sammy Martin and Akemi King won the relay portion of the race.
“This is where Greg’s ashes were scattered and (Hapuna) is a place that was very special to Greg,” said Jesse Ebersole, a Hawaii Fire Department paramedic/firefighter who is on the Greg Cameron Firemen’s Fund’s board of directors. “When we came together to talk about things we could do to honor him we had a lot of different ideas, but the biathlon brings together running and swimming, two things that were very near and dear to Greg’s heart. It is the perfect way to honor Greg.”
Cameron was a three-time finisher of the Ironman World Championship, a lifelong surfer and endurance athlete.
Freitas finished the swim in six minutes, but blazed through the one-mile run course — which ran exclusively in the deep, shifty sands of Hapuna — in 5:26. It was a performance that Cameron — well-known in the athletic community for his fierce competitive spirit — would have been proud of.
“The run is deceivingly brutal,” Ebersole said. “It is the hardest one-mile I have ever done.”
One of Cameron’s final wishes before passing was to establish the Firemen’s Fund to give back to the community that helped him during his time of need. In the organization’s two years of existence, the fund has helped out firefighters in need in a variety of ways.
The second annual Firemen’s Fund Weekend is one of the organization’s primary fundraisers and featured a golf tournament at Hapuna Beach Prince Golf Course on Saturday, and continued with the 400-meter swim, 1-mile run biathlon Sunday.
“Our goal was to double what we did last year and we just about did that,” said Leonard Bisel, a member of the fund’s board of directors. “Hopefully we can do it again next year and see this grow into a larger event.”
Many of Cameron’s family members showed up to support the event. Brad Cameron, one of Greg’s three brothers, said it is gratifying to see Greg’s memory being honored through the homegrown event.
“We try to do whatever we can to help out the fund,” Brad Cameron said. “It’s great to see it grow and how much the Hawaii Fire Department guys have embraced it. They are the guys who are really helping it grow.”
Greg’s extended family, the Hawaii Fire Department, was well represented at the event. Ebersole estimated 25 firefighters participated in the biathlon.
The LavaKids Aquathlon was a new addition to the event and premiered after the biathlon. The youth organization staged three races of different lengths for keiki ages 4-14.
Many of the keiki in the LavaKids events also participated in the biathlon, including DeCleene, who also captured top honors in her age group in the aquathlon.
“It’s nice to have something for the keiki,” Ebersole said. “This is the first year we have partnered with them. They have brought a lot of support and organization to the event. Having them bring their expertise to this event has been a big bonus for us.”
For more on the Greg Cameron Firemen’s Fund, or to donate, visit tgcff.com.