Inspector Kevin Berge and Sergeant Jody Vegh scored top honours in the archery competition at the World Police and Fire Games 2022. 

The athletic event is open to police, fire, customs, and corrections personnel from around the world, and over 10,000 first responders competed in 63 different sports in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Both EPS members are semi-professional archers who have been passionate about the sport since youth, and enjoy archery tournaments and bowhunting in their spare time.  They also worked together at the same archery store before becoming police officers. 

Having talked about the games for years, the officers paid all their own expenses for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete on the world stage.

Using custom compound bows with all the bells and whistles, they competed in the Target, Field, and 3D archery events at the games, with Kevin Berge winning three gold medals, and Jody Vegh winning a silver in the Field event and a bronze in the 3D event. 

Each event tested the skills of the archers, such as the 3D shoot in the forest, and at times the targets were up to 60 metres (196 feet) away.

While they faced fierce competition from other agencies, fair play and good sportsmanship were always top of mind.

Congratulations Kevin and Jody for representing EPS at the games and aiming for the gold!