From Afghanistan to Avalon, the career of firefighter Luke Wood is now blazing a path into one of Australia’s hottest calendars. JOHN VAN KLAVEREN feels the heat …
LUKE Wood is a model firefighter and he has the photos to prove it.
The 26-year-old Avalon Airport firefighter is the sizzling face of the first Victorian version of a massive fundraising calendar.
His hot photos will help kick off the new calendar, alongside Queensland and New South Wales versions that have raised more than $1.2 million in the 20 years they have been published.
Luke was a driving force behind bringing the hugely popular calendar to Victoria.
The calendar has become so big it has even attracted a “making of the fire fighters calendar” television documentary – and the Victorian version will be included in the show next year.
He is also one of the youngest firefighters to appear in it – but that hasn’t fazed him at all.
“I’m used to being the youngest in most things I do,” Luke confessed.
He was the youngest Australian soldier to serve in Iraq after enlisting at 17 as a paratrooper, following his family’s military background.
Luke served in the Solomon Islands, East Timor and Iraq for four years, spending 13 months overseas.
During his overseas service, Luke put his physical training expertise to good use, acting as a combat fitness leader for his platoon. He led the fitness training programs involving endurance, weight training, aerobics and nutrition.
“Dad was a physical training instructor in the army, my sister was also in the army, so it’s a lifestyle I’ve grown up with in a military family,” Luke says.
After his military service, Luke says he was looking around for his next job that suited his military background and applied for a role as a prison officer.
“I was at Barwon Prison for two years and surprise, surprise, I was the youngest one again,” he laughed.
But there was still an unfulfilled boyhood dream nagging away at him.
“I always wanted to be firefighter so I applied even though applications were limited. I managed to get through and topped the pool applying for a spot at Avalon Airport.”
When Luke saw a call for expressions of interest in appearing in the calendar, he thought he would give it a shot.
“I applied twice, but each time I got knocked back because I was from Victoria and there wasn’t enough southern interest.
“So I thought we had better generate some interest and started making a few calls and getting Victorian firies involved.”
Mr Wood’s interest in body building and personal training stood him in good stead for the photo shoot, held in Queensland.
“We got some pretty hot shots,” Mr Wood said.
“The photography set was actually a shed set alight as the background so we were fire fighters as well as models,” he laughed.
“I’m confident it will do well, there has been a lot of interest in it.”
All proceeds from the sale of the calendar go to the Melbourne Burns Unit at Royal Children’s Hospital and sending a team to the world fire fighting games.
