United States

Former Olympian Becomes Fort Worth Police Officer

Officer Nikki Kubes serves community in new way

An Olympic athlete from Fort Worth who represented the United States in the 2004 Athens Games is now serving her community as a police officer.

Nikki Kubes, 29, was just 17 years old when she went to Greece to compete in judo.

Now, as Officer Nikki Kubes, she patrols the streets of central Fort Worth.

"It'll never be taken away from me," she said of her Olympic experience.

She competed well but didn't get a medal.

Her dreams of returning to the Olympics were dashed by a serious knee injury.

So she pursued another dream.

"I always knew since I was a little girl I wanted to be in law enforcement," she said.

She became a Fort Worth police officer to help people, she said.

Her father also was a longtime officer and a Tarrant County constable.

And now, she follows the Olympics as a fan.

"I wish I could be there with them," she said. "But my time is over, and you just have to know sometimes when to stop and when to continue a new goal. And that's what I've done with the Fort Worth Police Department."

She sees many parallels between the two careers and is still armed with the same focus and determination.

"I'm so thankful for my past," she said. "I'll always have that. But now I get to go after a new goal, and that's to be the best police officer I can, and do the best for my community that I can."

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