Spotlight: Tina Duncan – Breaking Barriers in FireFit and Firefighter Challenge
When Tina Duncan joined Napanee Fire in 2023 at the age of 53, she wasn’t just starting a new chapter—she was rewriting what late-career athletes can achieve. After a long career in banking, Tina wanted to give back to her community and stay active in retirement. Becoming a volunteer firefighter was her first step. The next was taking on one of the most demanding physical competitions in the fire service: FireFit and the Firefighter Challenge.
A Late Start—But a Powerful One
Tina’s first-ever competition came in 2023 at the World Firefighter Challenge in Florida. While she didn’t complete the course during her individual run, she competed in tandem and relay events with her husband and friends, igniting a passion that carried into future seasons. By 2024, she began completing courses, including a sub‑8‑minute performance in Canada and a finish at Worlds in Nashville—just seconds past the cutoff. And she did it all while competing in an age group where only a handful of women participate. “Most people don’t start FireFit in their 50s,” she says. “There are only about six females over 50 competing at the moment.”
Leveling Up with Ricochet Custom Gear
One of the biggest changes for Tina in 2025 was switching from borrowed turnout gear to a fully custom Ricochet structural gear package designed specifically for her size, build, and competitive needs.
Tina now competes in:
- HORIZON™ by Milliken 6.8 oz (Gold) – Outer Shell Lightweight yet durable, the outer shell improves mobility while maintaining the structural strength needed for intense racing conditions.
- TenCate TITANIUM® SL2 – Thermal Liner Engineered for comfort and heat management, this liner helps keep athletes more stable during high‑output, high‑temperature events.
- Gore CROSSTECH® Black – Moisture Barrier Designed to balance breathability and protection, helping athletes manage interior moisture as workloads increase.
Because the gear is custom-cut for Tina—including a shorter jacket, female‑specific shaping, reduced bulk, and streamlined features—it dramatically improves her range of motion.
Tina explains, “The ergonomics of the Ricochet gear is definitely better. The fit is just so much nicer all around - I’m not fighting my gear, and it moves how I want to move and when I want to move.”
After years of borrowing gear that didn’t quite fit, finally having a set made for her body changed her performance—and her confidence.
2025 Season Highlights
The season started with scorching temperatures in Montreal and Oshawa, where heat made finishes difficult despite her new gear. But her breakthrough moment came in her hometown region at Stone Mills.
There, in front of family and friends, Tina completed the course two minutes faster than she had the year before, finishing in 5:57 and earning first place in the 50–59 age category.
She carried that momentum into the Canadian Championships in St. Catharines, where she completed the course again at 6:02—securing another first-place finish for her age group.
At Worlds in Dallas, new stricter rules cut the individual cutoff time to six minutes, leaving Tina just short of finishing the course. But her relay and tandem events were a major success, including:
- 3rd place in the 50–54 relay
- 2nd place in tandem with her husband
- 2nd place in a mixed relay team
A strong season, made even more meaningful by improvement, consistency, and the confidence that came with proper gear.
Looking Toward 2026
Tina isn’t slowing down. She’s already working with a coach and has one goal in mind: Earning a Lion’s Den time under five minutes. “For my age group, that five‑minute cutoff is everything,” she says. “That’s what I’m training for.”
Advice to New or Late‑Career Athletes
Her message is simple: “Do it.”
“It’s only going to make you a better firefighter and better conditioned. We all should be able to do the Firefighter Challenge to do our jobs appropriately.”
A Season Defined by Grit—and Gear That Supports It
From starting at 53 to podium finishes at national and world events, Tina’s story shows what determination can achieve at any age. With her custom Ricochet gear and a renewed training plan, she’s heading into 2026 with more momentum than ever.
And if her 2025 season is any indication, the best is still ahead.
