By Sharon Robb
SAN DIEGO, Calif., July 7, 2023—Jennifer Martin continued to defy the odds at the 56th annual United States Police and Fire Games held June 10-17.
The City of Pembroke Pines Police Traffic Sergeant won 13 gold medals including nine in swimming while competing in less than 2.5 hours. She also worked the meet as Sports Director. She won four gold medals in indoor rowing.
Over five years (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), Martin has won 53 gold medals and broken 32 records in swimming. In 2020, the meet was cancelled because of the pandemic.
Her results are:
200 Freestyle – gold-new record-2:11.31, breaking a 22-year-old record since 2001, broke a 22-year old record.
50 breaststroke-gold-33.27.
100 backstroke-gold-1:11.23.
100 freestyle –gold-new record, 1:02.18.
100 IM-gold–new record, 1:06.73.
200 women’s freestyle relay 40+-gold-new record, 2:05.04.
200 women’s medley relay 40+-gold-new record, 2:33.68.
200 mixed medley relay 40+-gold-new record, 2:24.13.
200 mixed free relay 40+ -gold-new record, 1:56.39.
2000 Meter-gold-new record-8:08.00-broke her own record of 8:15.0 from last year.
500 Meter-gold-1:56.6.
1000 women’s doubles-gold-2:00.5
100 mixed doubles-gold, 1:42.6 where she teamed up with Olympian Nenad Ninkovic from Serbia to win the gold medal.
“I’m very pleased with my times and performance at the games this year, Martin said. “It’s getting a bit harder as I’m starting to get older, but I’ve been finding new ways to challenge myself. I swam my off events this year. I think it’s been 20 years since I swam the 200 free. I almost forgot how to pace myself as I’ve gotten very comfortable swimming 50’s.
“I feel really good with where I’m at and I have six weeks to continue to work as I prepare for the World Police and Fire Games at the end of July.”
The World Games are July 27-Aug 8 in Winnipeg, Canada. Martin will compete in the 50 freestyle, 50 breast, 50 backstroke, 50 butterfly, 100 breaststroke and four relays in addition to the Open Water event.
The World Police and Fire Games are host to over 10000 police officers and fire fighters from all over the world.
It will be Martin’s sixth appearance at the Games. In the past five games, Martin has captured 25 gold medals, nine silver medals, five bronze medals and have set thirteen records. My participation this year makes her eligible for the World Police and Fire Games Hall of Fame.
The United States Police & Fire Championships, presented by Bio-One Crime & Trauma Scene Cleaning, is an Olympic-style competition with athletes representing law enforcement, firefighters and officers from corrections, probation, border protection, immigration and customs from across the country.
It began in 1967 as the California Police Olympics, in 1990 was the California Police Summer Games, in 2000 was the California Police and Fire Games, and since 2012 has been known as the U.S. Police and Fire Championships.
The California Police Athletic Federation is the governing body for the U.S. Police & Fire Championships. Its mission is to promote sport and physical fitness among personnel representing various agencies.
Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com.