Photo by Kamp Fender.
Ana Ruzevic, 30, a native of Split, Croatia, is seen in full gear at Vestavia Hills Fire Station No. 2.
As Ana Ruzevic sat inside a local coffee shop and recounted the details of her globetrotting life, a predominant theme quickly emerged: Ruzevic, 30, has an aptitude for excellence.
She always has.
In her hometown of Split, Croatia, at age 13, Ruzevic ascended from novice javelin thrower to national champion in only a matter of months.
A few years later, as a student-athlete at Tulane University in New Orleans, she developed into an NCAA track and field All-American.
It should then come as no surprise that Ruzevic, who last year became the first female firefighter in Vestavia Hills Fire Department history, has found success in yet another endeavor.
In October, she placed 11th at the Scott Firefighter Combat World Challenge. The impressive showing capped her inaugural season on the combat challenge circuit, which also included a first-place finish at U.S. Nationals.
“We couldn’t be more proud of what she’s done in the short period of time she’s been doing it,” said Adrian Millican, one of her VHFD coworkers and training partners. “She’s set the bar high, that’s for sure.”
The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge is a timed physical fitness competition that ESPN has labeled “the toughest two minutes in sports.”
It consists of fives stages that simulate the obstacles firefighters encounter on the job.
They include climbing a five-story staircase, hoisting heavy hoses, malleting a metal sled, spraying a water-charged hose and carrying a 175-pound dummy more than 100 feet.
Firefighters complete all five stages in full protective gear while breathing through an oxygen tank.
“There’s probably no better way to simulate what we do or to keep yourself in top-tier condition for doing what we do,” Millican said.
Photo by Kamp Fender.
Ana Ruzevic
Ana Ruzevic is the first female firefighter in Vestavia Hills Fire Department history.
Combat challenge events are hosted by local fire departments all across the country. This past season, which ran from April to November, Ruzevic entered in seven competitions.
Her participation was largely self-funded, but she yielded a return on her investment.
In September, she gained entrance to an elite club called the Lion’s Den by completing the combat challenge in 2 minutes, 50 seconds.
The entry standard for female firefighters is 3 minutes.
“That was really awesome,” Ruzevic said. “That had been one of the things I was chasing all season.”
Millican, who also is a Lion’s Den member, said only about five percent of combat challenge competitors achieve the feat.
That Ruzevic did it in her first season is a testament to her drive.
“Everything that you do has to be adjusted to try to accommodate what it takes to get to that level,” said Millican, citing sleep, diet and exercise habits. “She really, really grabbed the bull by the horns.”
Ruzevic’s regimen consisted primarily of CrossFit workouts, but she also performed exercises geared specifically to the combat challenge, like climbing a Stairmaster machine with 70 pounds strapped to her back.
Rarely did she pause from training.
“I don't really think I have, like, a rest day, like being a couch potato,” Ruzevic said. “I mean, occasionally I do, but every day is just something.”
Ruzevic’s training schedule during her first season nearly matched her work schedule. Since joining VHFD in 2018, she has taken few days off.
Ruzevic also works at the Center Point Fire Department and recently finished paramedic school.
Firefighters with one job typically work 24 hours then take 48 hours off.
Ruzevic, on the other hand, works 48 hours then takes 24 hours off.
But she enjoys the profession.
“You get to relax, study, work out, watch a movie in the afternoon,” Ruzevic said. “Then you get to help a lot of people. It’s very rewarding.”
Photo by Kamp Fender.
Ana Ruzevic inside the rear of a rescue truck. She is the first female firefighter in Vestavia Hills Fire Department history and ranks among the world’s best combat challenge competitors.
She didn’t find the same fulfillment in her first career. After graduating from Tulane, Ruzevic took a job with a life insurance company, which led her to Birmingham.
It didn’t take long for her to grow tired of the insurance industry. In 2013, she began volunteering with the Jefferson County Fire Department. Her chief offered to send her to firefighter school a few months later.
“It was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Ruzevic said.
Few other women reach the same conclusion.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men form more than 96 percent of the nation’s firefighting workforce.
Ruzevic is the only female firefighter at both of her departments.
“She comes to work every day and does the same job as everyone else,” VHFD Fire Chief Marvin Green said. “She doesn’t let being first intimidate her, and she’s doing a great job for the city.”
Ruzevic in February plans to become a part-time employee at the Center Point department while retaining her full-time status in Vestavia Hills.
The tweak will allow her to refocus on training ahead of the 2019 combat challenge season. By then, she hopes to have a sponsor that will assist her with travel costs.
“That would be fantastic,” she said.
Ruzevic will wear her personalized fire jacket when she toes the starting line at her season opener in Indianapolis.
Her nickname, “Croatian Sensation,” is printed in orange letters on the back. The tag dates to her college days but has stood the test of time.
It suits someone who has never settled for anything less than her best.
“She’s a fantastic athlete, fantastic person and a great firefighter,” Millican said. “She’s proved to not only herself and to our fire department, but to the world, that she can do this job and do it well.”
