By Shelby Brooks
For seven years, a young Pakenham CFA volunteer has been honing her firefighting skills at state-level competitions.
Shymma Harris, who recently turned 18, has represented Pakenham CFA for many years at the State Firefighter Championships.
Shymma competes in the Seniors B section and has taken medals in the multiple person events at juniors including 2Y and 4Y.
She began her competitive fighting journey when she was 11, inspired by her two older brothers Darby and Kirby, and Dad Steve.
Darby and Kirby are former state champions and Shymma would watch them compete.
“I wanted to beat them – and I did,” she said.
Competitive firefighting involves connecting hoses and shooting water at targets. Time and accuracy is taken into account.
Shymma trains twice a week to work on timing, execution and accuracy.
“It’s all about accuracy. It doesn’t matter if you’re fastest down the track – if you can’t set a hydrant then it’s bye-byes,” she said.
What Shymma loves the most about competitive firefighting is meeting new people at the championships.
“At every stage I walk up to at least one new team and say hi,” she said.
“We all have the same interests. We all want to get out on the trucks.”
Shymma is in the final stage of her General Firefighter training and by April she’ll be a fully qualified firefighter.
She’s also studying criminology at university and working part-time.
