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Why two LA firefighters were honored at ESPN's ESPY Awards
Erin Regan (left) and David Walters (right) accept the Pat Tillman Award for Service from Angela Bassett onstage during the 2025 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 16, 2025, in Hollywood.
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Two L.A. firefighters were honored Wednesday night at ESPN's annual ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
LAFD's David Walters and L.A. County Fire's Erin Regan received the Pat Tillman Award for Service for their contributions to firefighting efforts during the Eaton and Palisades fires in January.
But before they put it all on the line for their fellow firefighters and the city and county of L.A., they did it for their teammates on the pitch and in the pool.
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Before she joined L.A. County Fire in 2008, Regan was a goalie for the Washington Freedom of the Women's United Soccer Association, the first-ever women's pro soccer league where the players were paid. She won a league title with the team in 2003, playing alongside American soccer legends Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach. She attended college at Wake Forest University, where she earned first-team all-ACC honors and set school records in saves and minutes played that still stand to this day.
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"As an athlete, after you have your last practice...you're kind of always searching for that big magic you felt when you were part of something bigger than yourself — that grind through the season that you share with your teammates," Regan said while accepting the award. "For me, team bus rides became engine rides with my new team — L.A. County Fire. And that big magic became showing up for Los Angeles every day, and on our worst day."
Walters is former Olympic swimmer who took home gold in the men's 4x200 relay at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. He also set in that event with teammates Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Ricky Berens at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships. He was also the 2007 NCAA National Champion in the 200 meter freestyle as a sophomore at the University of Texas.
ROME - JULY 31: (L-R) Ryan Lochte, David Walters, Ricky Berens and Michael Phelps of the United States receive the gold medal during the medal ceremony for the Men's 4x 200m Freestyle Final at the 13th FINA World Championships at the Stadio del Nuoto on July 31, 2009 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
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The Tillman Award is given each year to "a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman."
Tillman played four seasons in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals before enlisting in the U.S. Army and attending Ranger School. He was killed by friendly fire in 2004 while deployed in Afghanistan.
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The ESPYs are ESPN's annual award show where they honor the best players, teams and plays from the year in sports.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
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