My name is Travis Gribble and I am a retired 24 year law enforcement veteran. I spent 11 years in Michigan where I worked as a deputy, deputy sergeant, and SWAT team commander. In 2008 I made a lateral move to the Mesa Police Department in Arizona. Mesa is a city of 520,000 and 900 sworn police officers. In Mesa I worked as a patrol officer, patrol sergeant, SWAT assistant team
leader, and SWAT sergeant team leader. During the course of my career I was a part of countless critical incidents and I always thought none of the calls were affecting me, or at least that is what I told myself. In 2016 I experienced a horrific and life-changing call. For five years after the call I never sought appropriate help and I was slowly self-destructing from within. As the years and calls went by my cup was reaching capacity and I was not healthy. In March of 2021 my team was called to conduct a hostage rescue and the outcome was not what we had planned. I reached a point of extreme despair and hit rock bottom. Thankfully I was put in touch with a therapist who specializes in first responder care and I began the journey of healing.
I was stabiized throughout a year long process, but due to extent of the trauma I decided to retire in February of 2022. Only one short month after my retirement and through unplanned circumstances, I was given the opportunity to share my story with a group of SWAT leadership. The response to my raw story while sharing lessons learned by me and my agency was nothing short of amazing. From that day forward I continued sharing my story on podcasts, at law enforcement conferences, for first responder organizations and through a social media platform. This path has now turned into creating a community and advocating for first responders and veterans mental health well-being. I have created the organization “My Arena” where I am dedicated to provide training for these communities, their families, and agencies. In 2023 I was offered an opportunity to be a participant in the Struggle Well Experience training offered by the Boulder Crest Foundation. It was here I learned of more things in my life I needed to address both personally and professionally, while learning to regulate my daily emotions. I was so impressed with the success of the training I began the process of becoming a Guide for this incredible organization. I am now proud to say I am part of this powerful training being offered to our military, veterans, and first responders. Finally, none of this would be possible without the fierce support of my amazing wife Emily. We are enjoying our home and all life has to offer in Winchester, Virginia.