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Sgt. Andre Thomas, a San Diego police officer, spends his days off training dolphins at SeaWorld, pursuing a passion far removed from policing. While many responders take on second jobs similar to their on-duty roles, branching into new, joyful pursuits helps create balance and resilience. Building positive identities beyond the uniform is vital for long-term wellness in public safety.
In this episode of The Brief: Wellness Edition, Emily Hitchings and Greg Friese talk about Thomas’ side hustle as a dolphin trainer and ideas for officers to use their time off or a second job to pursue passions, recharge their desire to serve and stay healthy and happy.
"(Off-duty work) shouldn’t just be an extension of your job, but makes you ready to put the uniform back and go back to work. It needs to be something that fills and fulfills you.”
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About The Brief: Wellness Edition
The Brief: Wellness Edition video series explores the wellness implications of current events for public safety professionals. Each episode brings a timely conversation that connects unfolding events to the day-to-day realities of first responders.
