Tampa firefighter competing in St. Pete boxing match

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Christina Campfort fights a lot. She fights fires during her day job as a Tampa firefighter. She fights opponents during her night job as a professional boxer. 

"It’s that thrill of doing what you’re trained to do," she said. "What are you going in to? It's never the same."

That's a thought that could apply to both her jobs. The irony is, she wasn't planning on doing either. 

“It was after college. I’d swam, pretty much my whole life done sports, and I was looking for something to do to stay active, cause I’m not like a just go to the gym person," she explained to FOX 13. "I needed like a purpose, a goal, something competitive.”

Campfort went to college as a biology major, with the intention of becoming a veterinarian. She says she "fell into firefighting". She's been with the Tampa Fire Department since 2009, the same year she turned professional in boxing. 

"There's so much to it," she said. "It's not just getting in there and beating someone up." 

Campfort is preparing for her seventh professional fight after a nearly two-year hiatus. She's currently 3-to-1, also fighting in more than 30 amateur fights. She'll be part of the event "No Pain No Gain 9" this Saturday at the St. Petersburg Marriott Clearwater. 

As you can imagine, preparing for a big fight while fighting fires can be challenging. Campfort has fought on a Saturday and worked for the fire department on a Sunday before. However, training for fights benefits the firefighting side as well. 

"Boxing gyms typically don’t have air conditioning. We train in hot, hot gyms,” she said. “So, for me to throw my gear on in August and work a fire is not as bad."