Former reporter loses more than 200 pounds to start new career as Texas police officer
Former Texas reporter and blogger Chad Dodge lost more than 200 pounds to answer his "calling" and become a deputy at the Montgomery County Constables Office.
Dodge's passion for law enforcement sparked when he was covering a story at the Montgomery County Police Academy a few years ago.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends" Thursday, he told host Ainsley Earhardt: "Just covering a lot of stories about law enforcement and becoming friends with a lot of law enforcement agencies and their workers. And, I realized that that's what I wanted to do. It was a calling."
According to Fox 26, by the next class Dodge was in training for the Citizens Police Academy. Dodge graduated, underwent gastric bypass surgery, and started to diet and work out.
At that point, he couldn't do a sit-up or a push-up.
"I had something I needed to do, wanted to do, had to do," he told Earhardt.
On Tuesday morning, Deputy Dodge was sworn in and started his patrol duties that evening.
He encouraged those looking to undergo a similar transformation "keep going" and reach for their goals.
"I really am just learning, because I have no experience in law enforcement beforehand," he explained. "So, it's all fresh to me. Even at 42 years old learning something new is exciting."