Freddy Camacho: Retired Sergeant at Union City Police Department & Crossfit Athlete

Are you living your best life?  Check that, are you capable of living your best life?  If not, what is holding you back?  Last week, we had a great conversation with @Coory Joshlin about his journey towards fitness as he heads into his mid-40s and down the backstretch of his law enforcement career.  The main takeaway:  It is never too late to get started.  

This week, I’ll show you why.

Enter CrossFit “O.G.” Freddy Camacho, a retired police officer from the Bay Area in California.  If you ever need an example to follow when it comes to preparing yourself to live your best life, tune in.  Like Coory, Freddy started his law enforcement career a little later in life than most, in his thirties.  Before that, he worked on the railroad “all his live-long days.”  Sorry, couldn’t help myself.  He was also a fighter, and he was training with some officers who planted the idea within him that he should consider a career in law enforcement.  Once the seed was planted, it didn’t take long to root, and within the year, he was working with the police, not against them, like in some of the wild days of his youth.  (Recruiters:  take note!)

The best police officers come in all forms and those who have lived a little before donning the badge bring the experience that can benefit them on the street.  They make some of the best cops we have in America.  

Freddy retired as a Sergeant after working in South San Francisco before heading to Union City.  He worked patrol and traffic and was also a SWAT officer.  He also owned and operated a few CrossFit gyms along the way, the first one as part of the fighting gym where he trained.  If you have been on the CrossFit scene for a while, you have probably heard of CrossFit One World.  Later, with his wife, Chyna, they opened CrossFit GFY.  Yes, go fitness yourself.  

But, this show is not about CrossFit, although it plays a central role in where Freddy is today.  Where I know return to the question: Are you living your best life?  Freddy is living his best life.  He has retired, moved to beautiful Lahaina, Hawaii, and is using his fitness to maximize his retirement.  He still trains regularly, works part-time on a sailboat, and rides his road bike all over the island. He is not a tired, angry, bitter cop who was counting the days to punch out.  In fact, he still misses the job but is ready to take on new adventures.  And he was prepared to do so because he put in the work when it mattered the most.  

I started following Freddy when he was competing as a CrossFit Games athlete.  Then he moved into the Master's Division, and I moved along with him because we were about the same age. He was regularly featured in the CrossFit Journal and was known to do some soul-crushing workouts.  But he was also known for always having some fun and not taking life too seriously.  So, I followed him from afar on the leaderboard until I had the chance to meet him in person at the World Police & Fire Games in Los Angeles, where we competed together in the 50-55 Age Group.  

Now, we are both retired Cops, and we are both still plugging away at our fitness.  Why?  Well, maybe the question should be, why not?  Who wouldn’t want to retire to Hawaii and live the amazing island life post-law enforcement?  Freddy is a living example of what every cop should strive for.  Have an amazing career and enjoy a long, happy, and healthy retirement.  Which is what this show is all about.  

This summer, I was fortunate enough to spend a few weeks in Hawaii, and one of those days was on a sailboat out of Lahaina.  It was not Freddy’s crew, but I realized I wanted to talk with him and share his story, so we connected after returning home.  

We had a pre-call on a Friday and had a great chat, and then planned to record the episode the following Friday.  But life is what happens when you are making other plans.  And instead of recording that episode, Freddy and thousands of others were fighting for their lives in Lahaina as a wildfire ripped through the town.  He was fortunate to make it out okay, but as we all know, many were not.  Hundreds of people were tragically killed, and the city was devasted, displacing thousands of people, including Freddy and his family.  

But here is the important part and why I think you should take note of Freddy's example.  Life is not just about survival but also helping others along the way.  It is about putting yourself in a position to be useful when others need you the most.  That is what being a cop is all about - helping others in need.  Freddy and his wife have not only navigated the circumstances they have been dealt with, but they are also helping others recover and do the same. 

One of the mantras from CrossFit is:  Prepare for the unknown and the unknowable.  It applies to policing and life.  After you listen to this show, please consider helping those still struggling to rebuild in Maui.  Here is one way you can help fellow officers in need.  In the meantime, go train; the life you save may be your own!