John Cena Honors
First Responders
“I wanted to use the buzz around my new
movie, Playing With Fire (I play a smoke
jumper), to showcase real rescuers. So I
teamed up with Good Housekeeping and
put out the call for people to nominate a
hero who inspired them. Here’s why I was
so eager to spotlight them.”ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HERO
“To me, a hero is anyone who lives
with passion and purpose, no matter
what kind of job he or she clocks in to.
What sets first responders apart is that
an ordinary day of work can include will-
ingly facing down danger. I admire that
because it is something I have trouble
doing. I enjoy doing stunts, but when
something doesn’t seem too safe, I’m like,
‘We should talk this over....’
”ON SHOWING GRATITUDE
“My brother, Dan, has been a cop for
20 years. I know he has been in some
pretty hairy situations and emergencies
to which I will never be able to relate.
Those things come with the job he’s
dedicated his life to. But like most first
responders, he’s humble. So I think it’s up
to us to find out who the people in our
communities are who save lives
—
and let
them know they are appreciated.”ON WINNING OUR HEARTS
“My cover costar, Lori Byrd (right),
impressed me not just with her bravery,
but with her perseverance and determi-
nation to help carve the path for the next
class of female firefighters. I am proud to
introduce you to her and five other out-
standing nominees who give back to their
communities both on and off the job.”Lori Byrd
TITLE: Firefighter
LOCATION: Jacksonville, FL
YEARS ON THE JOB: 2Lori’s journey to becoming a fire-
fighter began years before she
signed up for training. In 2010, she
was managing a local bank branch.
One morning, while Lori was doing
routine security checks before the
bank opened, a car pulled into the
drive-through lane. The driver, who
had her son in the back seat, droppedDiscover hometown herœs
24 GH NOVEMBER^2019
her ATM card. In reaching to retrieve
it, she accidentally hit the gas pedal
and the car jolted straight ahead into
a retention pond. At first it looked as
if she was going to swim out with her
son and be OK. But then she began
floating facedown.
“At that point, I was like, There’s
nobody else here. I’ve got to do some-
thing,” says Lori. So she raced outside,
dove into the water and pulled the
woman out. She and another person
who worked nearby then went back inALL FIRED UP
Lori hopes her
story sparks
more women to
join the ranks.