For Bakersfield Senior Police Officer Danni Melendez, the importance of fitness hit him when he was on foot patrol shortly after graduating from the police academy.
Yes, he had passed all the running drills, did all the jumping jacks, and made it through the physical requirements needed to graduate.
And then he found himself 30 pounds heavier, wearing all of his police gear – holster, gun, bullet proof vest, radio – and chasing people on the streets who were in shorts and t-shirts. He realized he needed to get fit. Seriously fit, Behind the Badge reported.
“I didn’t want to be the guy who couldn’t hold my own. I didn’t want to have my partner be in a fight for his life and me not able to help him,” Melendez said. “I decided to focus on fitness. And I didn’t want to just run a million miles and do jumping jacks. I wanted to really focus.”
Melendez found his fitness community within the department, a group of police officers who all love fitness, and more importantly, love teaching fitness to anyone who wants to learn. He put his focus on Cross Fit, weightlifting, and nutrition and found a level of physical stamina he hadn’t had before.
It was official, he was hooked on fitness.
Read the full story at Behind the Badge.
