Officers show medal at police and fire games

Marisa O’Neil

When nationally ranked college swimmer Dan Miles injured his shoulder

15 years ago, he figured his Olympic dreams were over.

But Miles, now a motorcycle officer for Costa Mesa Police

Department, got a second shot at the gold with the California Police

and Fire Games. This year, he brought home three gold medals and one

silver from the games.

“I decided the police Olympics was where I was going to make my

comeback,” the 30-year-old said.

Newport-Mesa, which is well represented in Athens by 100 and

200-meter backstroke gold medalist Aaron Peirsol and volleyball gold

medalist Misty May, also has its share of medal-winning officers this

year in two competitions.

Fellow Costa Mesa officer Det. Victor Bakkila, 37, won two silver

medals for swimming at this year’s competition in Stockton. And

Newport Beach Police Station Officer Brad Aubuchon, 31, won two gold

medals earlier this month at the International Police and Fire Games

in Las Vegas.

The California games started with 500 athletes in 1967 as the

California Police Olympics, games spokeswoman Leah Raab said. When

the International Olympic Committee complained about the name, they

went through a few monikers before settling on the California Police

and Fire Games.

The weeklong competition is open to sworn police and fire

personnel throughout the state. This year, nearly 6,000 athletes

competed in about 60 types of events, including weightlifting

competitions, tennis, baseball, shooting and surfing.

“Physical exercise is a great way to reduce stress,” Raab said.

“And police officers and firefighters need to be in good shape. [The

games are] a good way to promote physical fitness through sports, and

the incentive is the medal. It is highly prized.”

The International Police and Fire Games allows family members and

civilian employees to compete. Aubuchon, who works in the property

room for the Newport Beach Police Department and is in charge of lost

and stolen bikes, drew on his 14 years of mountain-biking experience

to win two gold medals this year.

“I’d always wanted to compete in the California [games] but wasn’t

allowed to because I’m a civilian,” he said. “When I heard about the

Las Vegas games, I figured, hey, mountain biking, Las Vegas, it’s a

pretty easy sell there.”

He expected to compete in the downhill competition, similar to

races he runs in Big Bear, but was told at the last minute he would

have to ride up the hill and down, as well. He won it on his downhill

bike, rigged with suspension for speedy downhill racing, not uphill

pedaling.

Bakkila had to overcome a major hurdle to train for his races in

this year’s 50-yard and 100-yard breaststroke competitions. The Army

reservist was stationed in Iraq for nine months and had only a few

months to train for the California games in June.

“There’s not a lot of pools in the Iraqi desert,” he said.

Miles, a former UC Santa Barbara swimmer who has won 16 medals

over the past three California Police and Fire Games, said he plans

to keep swimming. His next goal is to compete in the World Police and

Fire Games in Quebec City next year.

“I love competition,” Miles said. “And this is a good way to get

back in the pool.”