Former Olympian prepares for Palomar College Fire Academy

SAN MARCOS – At the age of 31, Lynda Morales has already lived the kind of highlight reel most athletes only ever dream of, culminating in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Now she's ready for her next act as a firefighter – with some beach volleyball on the side.

"The physicality of the sport correlates well with being a firefighter – you need to be in good shape and working in the sand is really good for your joints and strengthens your legs," Morales said. "It's perfect."

Morales, 31, spent the fall 2019 semester preparing for the Palomar College Fire Academy – a regimen that included physical traini...