POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 25 Truro Police Service continued PANS in the community LYNN CURWIN, special to the Truro News ‘Fittest law enforcement officer in Canada’ Truro Police Service’s Sgt. Hunka raises the bar There are some very fit officers in the Truro Police Service, as Sgt. Robert-John Hunka has just demonstrated to the world. Competing in this year’s Corssfit Occupational Games, Hunka, 34, earned the titles “fittest law enforcement officer in Canada” and “second fittest law enforcement office in the world.” Along with this, during the Crossfit Open he earned the title “fittest in Nova Scotia.” “I entered for fun and when I found out I made the top three I was pretty shocked,“ he said. “The Occupational Games area is new this year and there were 2,700 people taking part who identified as law enforcement officers.” Crossfit covers diverse areas of fitness including weightlifting, pull-ups, push-ups, gymnastics, and running. Hunka first got involved with Corssfit when a physical trainer introduced him to it during basic training. “I got out of it for a while but then got back into it in 2015,” he said. “I realized, for a first responder it’s one of the best training regimes you can do. You have to be able to move in different ways and be fast and agile. “We have a really fit police service in Truro. Our chief promotes fitness and I promote it to my platoon members as well. There’s a joint effort between the chief and athletic committee, and we’re fortunate to have a great gym at the station.” In 2017 he competed at the World Police Fire Games, in Los Angeles, which was held by Crossfit Inc. He won silver in the Crossfit RX division. Because of COVID-19, he was able to remain in his own community to compete in this year’s events. A friend took the judging course so that he could do the judging, and everything had to be video recorded. Hunka competed in five events during 24 hours and wasn’t aware of his ranking until he saw the leaderboard on the website. “I didn’t expect it, so getting those ittles was pretty remarkable,” he said. About 300,000 people took part in the open competition. Worldwide, Hunka placed 415th out of 157,000 men and 30th in Canada out of 5,318 men. “We’re very proud of Sgt. Hunka’s accomplishments, as we take health and fitness very seriously at Truro Police Service,” said Truro Police Chief Dave Macneil. “His work ethic and discipline in the gym spills over into his work and it motivating to other officers.” Hunka sometimes has to be at the gym for 4 a.m. workouts before heading to work, but he feels it’s worth it. “Working out is my happy place and it counters the stress of the job,”he said. “When you’re in shape, it helps to deal with mental stress more appropriately and provide better service to coworkers and the community. There are a few situations I’ve dealt with at work where I contribute to my success to fitness.” Healthcare workers, firefighters, members of the military and college students are also eligible to take part in the Crossfit Occupational Games. More information on the games can be found online at https://games.crossfit.com/article/occupational-games SaltWire E-Edition (pressreader.com) Truro Police Sgt. Robert-John Hunka enjoys working out. His fitness levels help him do his job better, make him feel better about himself, and have recently earned him titles. Photo courtesy of Robert Hunka. Truro Police Sgt. Robert-John Hunka likes to use the “great” gym where officers work out at the Truro police station. Photo courtesy of Robert Hunka.
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