Turlock mayor brings home two gold medals. Heads to world championship next
Turlock Mayor Amy Bublak brought home two gold medals in the women’s shot put and javelin throw event at the 2026 U.S. Police & Fire Championships in San Diego.
“I’m very competitive about anything I do,” Bublak said.
The U.S. Police and Fire Championships are an Olympic-style competition for athletes representing law enforcement officers and firefighters across the country. Over 2,700 athletes competed in 40 sporting events throughout San Diego County in June.
Besides Turlock, Bublak represented the Richmond Police Department, where she served for 13 years. She will be heading to the 2027 World Police and Fire Games in March in Australia.
Bublak earned gold medals in 2022 and 2023 as well — her first time competing since training for the 1996 Olympics. She ended up sustaining an Achilles injury.
Bublak went to Stanislaus State University in 1983 to play basketball and compete in shot put. Since high schools in California don’t permit javelin throwing, she didn’t learn about that sport until college.
“The coach was like ‘Try this,’ and I ended up being really good at that, too,” Bublak said.
While a student, she served as track and field team captain for two years and as the associated student body president for two years. Bublak was inducted into Stanislaus State University’s Warrior Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Bublak said she would have never considered competing again if not for Jennifer Neal, a trainer from ABC Fitness in Turlock. Bublak said she motivated her to set these goals and lean into her muscle memory.
She said she practiced the javelin throw a few times before the competition in June but didn’t throw the shot put until the day of.
Bublak also credited her success to consistent training and the support of Stanislaus State’s throws coach Channing Wilson, Molly’s Therapeutic Bodyworks, Más Vida Chiropractic and professional bodybuilder and Councilmember Erika Phillips.
The Turlock mayor is also running for reelection this year after announcing her candidacy in April. She said it’s good to have goals outside the city and that the sports give her balance, keeping her mind off politics.
“There’s more than just politics behind a person,” Bublak said.
