Charlotte firefighter Holly Forbes Johnson has just earned global recognition after winning six gold medals and breaking two world records at the 2025 World Police & Fire Games in Birmingham, Alabama.
The 48-year-old mother of three competed in four individual freestyle events and anchored two record-breaking relays. Her 200m freestyle relay team finished more than 20 seconds faster than the previous world record.
A full-time firefighter at Firehouse 38, Forbes Johnson also serves on Charlotte Fire’s dive and swift water rescue team. She hadn’t raced internationally in over 20 years before returning to competition with what she called “a nudge from God.”
“I grew up in the water,” Johnson said in a press release. “Swimming was my world long before I joined the fire service. It has always been a part of who I am. When I heard the Games were coming to my hometown of Birmingham, it just felt like a sign. I knew I had to go for it.”
Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald Johnson praised her determination and commitment. Forbes Johnson joined the department in 2016 at age 40, becoming the oldest female to graduate from Recruit Class 99.
Now back on duty, she returns not just with medals, but with the pride of representing Charlotte — and the joy of coming home to her biggest fans: her three sons.
