University of Massachusets Athletics
Therrien Keeps Busy Off The Track
August 16, 2004 | Women's Track & Field
By Kyle Harris
The Maroon & White
The life of a student-athlete can be extremely hectic, trying to balance schoolwork with practice and competition, often leaving little time or energy for much else. The life of a firefighter is marked with extensive training, irregular hours and high-stress situations. For Crystal Therrien, a 2004 UMass graduate, both lives held equal importance as she found success in both endeavors. Therrien was a key member of the women's track and field team, as well as a lieutenant and three-year member of Engine Company 3, the student force of the Amherst Fire Department.
Engine Company 3, or E3 for short, has its own fire engine, which is put into service from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays, and 24 hours per day on the weekends. The members also have drills every Thursday night, and as an officer, Therrien was required to work 24-hour shifts at least every other weekend.
"It was not easy to balance the time commitment," said Therrien. "There were times when I would come home from a track meet on a Saturday and then have to work a 24-hour shift at the fire department that night, or have to switch different shifts with people. I was not sure I could handle being a firefighter and a student-athlete at the same time, but I stuck with it and it worked out. Most of the time, track and firefighting did not cross over a lot. For track we practice during the day, but we lift in the afternoon, so sometimes that would run into a Thursday night drill."
Therrien became interested in joining E3 after seeing a flyer in the dining commons. After going up to the station to find out more information, she liked what she heard and decided to do it. Her familiarity with firefighting, however, began early on.
"My father is a firefighter, so I basically grew up around fire stations," said Therrien.
That influence, coupled with her experiences at E3, has led to the thought that firefighting could easily become a career for Therrien.
"I could definitely see that happening," said Therrien. "Right now I am studying for the MCAT to get into medical school, but if I decide not to go that route, I would definitely look into firefighting. I really enjoy it. Now that I have graduated and am not doing it any more, I miss it a lot more. I see a fire truck go by and I want to drive it."
Driving the fire truck is Therrien's favorite part of the job.
"I really like to drive the truck -- I like being up front," said Therrien. "The only bad part is that when you have a call and you drive, you have to stay outside and work the pump. You do not get to actually get in to fight the fire. I really enjoyed working with the people, too. We really got close. I did not even mind the drills. Really, my least favorite part of it was working a 24-hour shift after being at a 14-hour track meet.
Therrien's background in track and field helped her immensely to be a better firefighter, while at the same time, firefighting helped her to be a better student-athlete.
"I never thought of it like that," said Therrien. "But yes, you need to be pretty fit to work a fire -- it is really hard. All of our gear can weight up to 60 pounds and it can get pretty hot in there as well. We have to drag hoses up and down stairs, then if it gets caught on a corner you have to run back and adjust it. Then if someone goes down you need to be able to help them to safety. Another way it helps is that you have to be very disciplined as a firefighter. In track I did the heptathlon, which requires a lot of discipline in terms of training for every event. The time crunch from firefighting actually helped me to be a better student-athlete because I was forced to stick to a schedule where I had to get stuff done, so it helped my academics a lot."
One of the calls that sticks out very clearly in Therrien's mind is the fire at the fraternity house of Delta Upsilon.
"The DU fire was a big one," said Therrien. "That was a frustrating one for me, because I did not have my car on campus and lived in Southwest. It was a three-day weekend, so all of my friends were gone, so I had to take the bus to the station. Every stop seemed like it took forever, but I finally got there, got my gear and headed to the scene. By the time I got to the fire everyone had already been evacuated, but I helped work on it from the back of the house. We were making sure the heating system from the back did not blow and just tried to make sure things did not get worse."
As a four-year letterwinner on the UMass women's track and field team, Therrien excelled in the high-jump, the pentathlon and the heptathlon. She is currently ranked fourth all-time at UMass in the heptathlon and fifth in the pentathlon.
"Mentally I think competing in the heptathlon is a lot harder than fighting a fire," said Therrien. "If you mess up on an event, you still need to maintain focus and do well in all of the other events, and that can be difficult. Physically I would say it is a toss-up. There is so much adrenaline pumping when you are fighting a fire that you do not really notice the amount of work you are doing."
Despite her love for track and field, Therrien claims that even if given the opportunity, she would not want to be a professional track athlete.
"I would much rather be a professional firefighter than be a Marion Jones or Jackie-Joyner Kersee type," said Therrien, "I have been running for nine years, and my body is finished with track. I may continue to compete, but not as much or as intensely as when I was in college. I did do a triathlon this summer, so I may continue stuff like that, but not nearly as competitively. I have only been a fire fighter for three years, so it is still new to me, plus I can go out and run any time I want. I cannot always drive a fire truck."
This story was originally published in July 2004 issue of The Maroon & White. For subscription information please call the Athletic Development Office at (413) 545-4290.
