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Athlete Spotlight: Jennifer Martin

Florida, USA | Pembroke Pines Police Department

Jen Martin’s Motor Never Stops

Since 2005, Jennifer “Jen” Martin has put her lifelong swimming skills on display at the World Police & Fire Games. The 21-year veteran cop says her job didn’t allow much time to pursue regular training, but her mindset changed when she arrived in Quebec City for her first WPFG. 

“When I walked into registration, I saw a weightlifter with a gold medal around his neck and I remember thinking to myself, ‘There is no way I’m leaving here without one of those gold medals.’,” the police sergeant recalls. “I actually did win a gold medal and set a world record in that event.”

So far, the 44-year-old police sergeant from Pembroke Pines, Florida has won 32 Gold, 10 Silver and five Bronze medals setting 24 world records in 32 gold medal swims. In the Winnipeg Games in 2023 she racked up five individual swimming Gold, a Silver in Open Water Swim and three Gold and one Silver in swimming relays. 

That’s enough for any athlete, but Jen plans to add more sports when she competes in Birmingham, including Police Motorcycle and Indoor Rowing. She will even add Trap Shooting if it doesn’t conflict with her other events. 

“I have been riding in the motorcycle traffic unit for four years, and I saw they will have motorcycle events,” Jen says. “There’s not many females doing this job, so I want to do it. I am not allowed to take my motorcycle outside of the state of Florida, but Harley Davidson has been gracious enough to sponsor and loan me one.”

Surprisingly, she says health issues led her to teach herself rowing. “I have Lupus, so I'm always looking for low-impact forms of exercise. Rowing is fantastic for that, and I can do it at home.” Persevering through a chronic medical condition is just part of her DNA. “I haven’t always kept it in remission, and there’s a lot of physical struggles. But I've just learned to know when it's time to take a break and when I can push myself. It's working smarter, not harder, and knowing my body.”

Her advice to others is simple. “You have to stay active. A body in motion stays in motion, and as long as I keep moving, even if I have to crawl every step, it's keeping me healthy.”

By Del Moon

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