The author, Fritz, hails from Chicago and spent his formative years in Sedona, Arizona, where he engaged in various adventurous activities like building BMX jumps, cliff jumping into Oak Creek, and creating bronze sculptures. During his college years, he pursued a studio art major with a focus on sculpture and ceramics, while also actively participating in football and track. Fritz's achievements on the track team included serving as team captain for several years, earning multiple all-conference medals, being named a four-time All-American and two-time national champion, and twice receiving the academic All-American of the year award for the college division. He was later honored with induction into his college's Athletic Hall of Fame.Since then, Fritz has obtained two master's degrees in Higher Education and Sport Conditioning & Performance, all while dedicating himself to coaching full-time. Over the past fifteen years, he has worked with a diverse range of athletes, but his true passion lies with wildland fire athletes. Through his interactions with athletes like Heidi, Sierra, Cam, and many others in the wildland fire community, Fritz has gained valuable insights into their unique physical needs and challenges. His goal is to continue improving support for this often-overlooked athlete population by raising awareness of their profession through his book and enhancing his wildland fire preparation strategies each season.
