In January, as wildfires tore through greater Los Angeles, more than 7,500 emergency personnel mobilized \u2014 confronting searing heat and extreme winds, trying to contain the devastation.<\/p>\n
Among them stood an Olympic gold medalist and a professional soccer champion.<\/p>\n
L.A. County firefighters David Walters and Erin Regan, former athletes who were among the 7,500 emergency personnel who responded to the January wildfires in Southern California, earned them this year\u2019s Pat Tillman Award for Service that will be presented at the ESPY Awards.<\/p>\n
The award \u2014 named after Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals safety who left the NFL to enlist in the Army following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and was killed in action \u2014 celebrates those with deep ties to sports who have served others, embodying Tillman\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n
Years before joining the fire department, Walters helped the U.S. win the 4×200-meter freestyle relay gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. He swam the lead leg in the preliminaries, helping the team set an Olympic record that paved the way for a world-record win in the final.<\/p>\n
During the fires, Walters recounted the exhausting conditions as crews fought blazes that scorched nearly 38,000 acres \u2014 claiming the lives of 30 people and destroying homes, businesses and landmarks in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re pretty much trying to keep what is left here standing,\u201d Walters told NewsNation<\/a>. \u201cSo we\u2019re not laying down. We\u2019re staying in our position \u2014 that\u2019s correct, I did sleep on top of the hose bed last night, just staying ready to do what we can still do.\u201d<\/p>\n Walters told ESPN he is honored to serve Los Angeles.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has been a challenging year, but also a rewarding one as we watched the Los Angeles community come together to support their neighbors,\u201d he said in ESPN\u2019s award announcement.<\/p>\n Regan, who joined the department in 2008, once anchored the Washington Freedom to a Women\u2019s United Soccer Assn. title following a stellar goalkeeping career at Wake Forest, where she earned first-team All-ACC honors and broke multiple school records.<\/p>\n Outside of firehouse duties, Regan champions female representation in the fire service. She co-founded Girls\u2019 Fire Camp<\/a>, a one-day program introducing young girls to firefighting, and launched the Women\u2019s Fire Prep Academy<\/a>, offering mentorship and hands-on training for aspiring female firefighters.<\/p>\n \u201cMy career choice was inspired by my family\u2019s history of public service, so receiving this award is a tribute to the many great influences that shaped my upbringing,\u201d Regan said in ESPN\u2019s award announcement. \u201cAs first responders, we take pride in hard work and serving others, and I\u2019m truly humbled to be recognized alongside incredible heroes like Pat Tillman.\u201d<\/p>\n The ESPYs, hosted by comedian Shane Gillis, will air on ABC and stream on ESPN+ on July 16 at 8 p.m. PDT.<\/p>\n