A.V. BOASTS 'STRONGEST MAN ALIVE'.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN

Staff Writer

PALMDALE -- A violent psychopath on the streets of Los Angeles is trying to kill him. A firefighter in Spain is trying to out-train him. And a half a world away, a group of eager cadets counts on him to keep a promise.

Those are some of the images that Dave Miklos said flashed through his mind at times when he's pushed his body beyond the limits of exhaustion.

The seemingly random collection of thoughts provided all the push Miklos needed to win a gold medal at the March 16-25 World Police and Fireman Games' Strongest Competitor Alive competition in Adelaide, Australia.

Miklos, an Antelope Valley-based Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department sergeant who's been on the force for 18 years, won his fifth and sixth WPFG medals -- his fourth gold and second silver.

He won the eight-event strongest competitor alive in the 50-and-over Grand Master category with 4,754.23 points, obliterating the previous record of 4,575.3 by nearly 180 points.

He took a silver medal in the bench press competition with a 286-pound lift.

Perennial rival Miguel Garces, a firefighter from Madrid, placed a distant second with 3,993.16 points.

Miklos, who heads the newly-created Antelope Valley College Sheriff's Academy, backed up a promise to cadets in the academy's inaugural class that he'd win the strongest man alive competition.

"I had a strong feeling about it," Miklos said. "I was very confident, but you never really know who's going to show up to these things."

Miklos, 50, said he didn't develop a passion for fitness until after college.

He became especially serious about his training when at 32, he enrolled in the sheriff's academy. Miklos had been a Lancaster Parks and Recreation Department administrator when he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement.

He's been hooked ever since.

He said his physical conditioning helps him cope with one of the most stressful careers.

"The better physical condition you're in, and the better mental condition you're in, the less impact that stress will have on your body," Miklos said.

"Stress weakens you and makes you more susceptible to illnesses or depression. I've found it (keeping fit) helps me maintain a positive upbeat attitude about my job, my family and my life."

Although his sprightly demeanor comes in stark contrast to the gruff cop stereotype, cadets say Miklos seems to have a knack for leading by example and pushing the right motivational buttons.

"His leadership style is different, but I've never seen anyone command the respect when he walks into a room like he does," AVC sheriff's academy graduate Chris Quinones said.

"He just has a tremendous attitude and that rubbed off on all of us," Quinones said. "All of us are trying to take a little piece of what he brings and bringing that to our careers."

Miklos said local trainers, lifeguards and nutritionists have helped make him a world-class athlete.

But he traces his will to win to survival instincts he developed during defensive tactic training in the academy 18 years ago.

"When you're in the thick of a fight and you're going at it in the street with some idiot that wants to kill you ... that's what I think of when I'm running. If I stop, I'm done, and I'm not going home to my family.

"I'm not going to stop."

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2 photos

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(1 -- color) Sgt. David Miklos won the world's strongest police officer and firefighter competition in Australia. His cadets at the sheriff's academy say Miklos seems to have a knack for leading by example and pushing the right motivational buttons.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer

(2) Sgt. David Miklos, far right in black, who won the world's strongest police and firefighter competition in Australia, trains cadets at the Antelope Valley College Sheriff's Academy.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer