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Featured Guest:
Claudio Navas Miami Beach Firefighter Mental Health Advocate Miami Half Marathon & Tropical 5K Runner Published Date: December 19, 2025 In this 18th interview for Wisdom for Wannabes podcast, host Jackie Morreale speaks with Miami Beach Firefighter Claudio Navas about the importance of mental health awareness, particularly for first responders. Claudio shares his journey of running the Miami Beach Half Marathons in full gear annually since 2012 to raise awareness for PTSD and mental health issues within the firefighting community. He discusses the challenges faced by first responders, the significance of peer support, and the need for open conversations about mental health. The episode emphasizes the beauty of life, the importance of self-care, and the power of community in overcoming struggles. |
Listen to/watch the full podcast recording, or read the transcript below:
Full Interview with Claudio Navas:
"I woke up and was like, 'It's time to do something with my life.' I started running and doing things that I enjoy, that I was once afraid of. Now I'm fearless and I've done pretty much everything."
- CLaudio Navas (Wisdom for Wannabes episode 31, 32:15)
Great quotes from the interview:
(More great quotes throughout the transcript in blue below.)
- "It's okay to ask for help."
- "You don't have to fight it alone."
- "Running was very good to me."
(More great quotes throughout the transcript in blue below.)
City of Miami fire Capt. Yami Diaz and Miami Beach firefighter Claudio Navas
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Key Takeaways:
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Claudio Navas (left) walking in a Miami Beach race to remember 9/11 (Photo: Lifetime Miami Marathon)
Interview Transcript:
Jackie Morreale (00:00)
Hello and welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes, the podcast that seeks to discover inspiring words in the areas of business, beauty, and betterment. I'm the host, Jackie Morreale. Today, let's focus on the topic of betterment through fitness, mental health, and community-building leadership. I wanna provide a very warm welcome to today's guest, Claudio Navas. Welcome, Claudio!
Claudio Navas (00:26)
Thank you for having me.
Jackie Morreale (00:28)
Thank you so much for being here. Claudio Navas is a firefighter in Miami Beach who has been doing the Miami Half Marathon, hence our shirts, right? Not just for the finish line, but for purpose, since 2012. In full bunker gear alongside hundreds of fellow first responders, Claudio takes on 13.1 miles to shine a light on mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder. He transforms each stride into a statement that first responders are human, that they feel deeply, and that asking for help is a sign of strength.
For January 2026, Claudio is gearing up again to run the Miami Tropical 5K and walk the Miami Half Marathon. This time not just to remember, but to rally, raising awareness for firefighters' mental health, carrying thin red line flags, and spreading hope.
So once again, welcome, Claudio Navas, to Wisdom for Wannabes!
Claudio Navas (01:31)
Thank you for having me. Since we're talking about the Miami Marathon, this is one of my favorite photos right here. At the finish line, that's the 20th year. It was taken during the 20th year.
Jackie Morreale (01:36)
Oh my gosh. I have to show my 20th year medal. We were both there. It's crazy, the 20th year. You did the half marathon in full gear? That's the finish line.
Claudio Navas (01:48)
Yeah, it says 20th year right there. So this is one of my favorite pictures of all times of all the races that I've done because it has a very special meaning. I'm actually going to put it looking at me, so it motivates me to talk.
Jackie Morreale (02:03)
I love it. You are such a special human being. Full gear for 13.1 miles.
Claudio Navas (02:09)
Yes. People thought I was crazy when I started doing it. They looked at me and laughed. You're doing what? The other comments that people would say is like, 'There's no problem with mental health.' I'm like, 'Yes, there is.' More firefighters die by suicide than on the line of duty. So there is a problem. Through the years, people's attention started looking at me differently. Then, eventually, it became a big movement.
It was a very good thing that happened. Back in 2015, not many people would talk about mental health or suicide. It's a word that nobody likes to use, but it's very critical to talk about.
Jackie Morreale (02:40)
I feel so honored to have met you and to be here with you, the person who thought outside the box to connect the dots on things that are so different, running a Miami half marathon, being a firefighter, and spreading awareness for mental health.
Claudio Navas (02:56)
It's beautiful to see it growing every year. Someone reached out to me today, like, 'We're doing the marathon?' I was like, 'Yes, we are. Every year we show up, no matter what.' It's an incredible thing. People used to call me to go to a club or to a bar. Now they call me to go do the Miami Marathon. It's a tradition now. It's been a decade. Someone mentioned that to me, 'You've been doing this for a decade.' I'm like, 'Yes, I have.' Yes, I have. More than a decade, yeah.
Jackie Morreale (03:03)
Yes, we absolutely will show up!
More than a decade. This will be the 14th year?
Claudio Navas (03:22)
Yeah, I started doing the gear in 2015, but I started doing Miami as a better understanding of changing my lifestyle. I wasn't a runner. I used to play baseball and then I went into CrossFit and then I got introduced to running. It all started with my coworker doing half marathons. I was like, 'Let's do it. I want to try. I don't think I can do it, but I'll do it. I will train.'
Jackie Morreale (03:41)
I love that we have that in common. I'm so inspired by you.
I just wanted to point out something that Claudio showed me for those of us who might have a 20th anniversary Miami Half Marathon medal at home. If you flip the medal to the backside, we have an engraving for police, firefighting, and EMS departments as a tribute to those wonderful folks who save lives every single day.
Claudio Navas (04:03)
Yes. That was something that Frankie Ruiz came up with and it was fun. That year, we had over 300 first responders doing the race. Most of them in gear and it was incredible. It was an unforgettable day.
Jackie Morreale (04:19)
Wow, congratulations. This really is such an inspiring movement. Let's take it back to the beginning. I know you work in Miami Beach as a firefighter. Where are you from? What do you do, and what's your passion, in your own words?
Claudio Navas (04:30)
I was born in Nicaragua. I moved to the U.S. when I was 12. I grew up in Miami. I went to Coral Park Senior High, class of 1999. The best of the century, the last of the century.
I love Miami. I've been around for a long time and up here, it's fun. You have the beach, you have all these beautiful places to go. Because of running, I get to explore places I never go to in the past, so it's kind of cool.
Jackie Morreale (04:53)
It is so cool. Miami: That is my favorite place for so many reasons. What do you do – want to share a little bit more about your work for the firefighting department of Miami Beach? What's your passion?
Claudio Navas (05:04)
I work for the Miami Beach Fire Department. I've been doing it for 23 years, going into 24. I do... I'm the training lieutenant for the department. I am a peer support coordinator, which has to do with whenever the fire crews go out on calls that are critical. Like a fire, anybody dies, or anything that people need someone to talk to. We have a team set up with chaplains and other resources that they can reach out on. We are able to help them continue to live a regular life, go back to their families in a healthy way. We teach them coping mechanisms that are important to be able to handle the type of trauma that we see. When I got hired, they didn't teach you that. I never knew what I was getting into. When I go home, I've got to be me. I've got to be a person.
People don't realize what you saw five minutes before they see you. It's a process that you have to learn to be off duty, on duty. But the mindset is always thinking about what you see at work. It's one of the things that I love to share with other people, how to move on from the traumatic situations that we're exposed to.
Jackie Morreale (06:05)
So you got into this line of work because you love people, helping people. Obviously being a Miami Beach firefighter has its benefits of being close to the beach and being with amazing people in Miami Beach, but it sounds like it's a really, really difficult job.
Claudio Navas (06:21)
Yeah, I spend a lot of time at the beach. I love to run by the beach. I live by the water. I love the sunset. Not a sunrise person. If I'm awake, I'll see it. But I love the sunset. I see it every night. I enjoy that we meet so many people from all over the world every day. We get visitors here every day from all over the world. It's nice to make friends. You never know where those friendships will take you. Some of them have become close friends after they leave.
It's just a beautiful city. I tell my kids all the time that because of this beautiful city, we have the life that we live today, from the cars that we drive, to the places we travel to, to the food we eat. I'm very grateful to Miami Beach for everything they have given me and all the lessons and things I've done. It's been an incredible journey so far.
Jackie Morreale (07:03)
What is your favorite part of your role? I can only imagine what your day-to-day is like, but do you have a favorite thing that you do?
Claudio Navas (07:10)
One of my favorite things is saving someone's life. I don't get to go on many calls right now, because of what I do, but every now and then, I do work at the station. I saved someone the last time I worked at the station from committing suicide. To me, that came from heaven because it came to me, to the fire station door and ask for help. That feeling was... no other way to describe it.
Before, it was just another call, but now I understand what they're going through, because it affects everyone. It doesn't matter if you're a firefighter, if you're a doctor, a regular person, mental health affects everybody. He just happened to come to the right person and we were able to get him the help he needed, and he was able to live another day. Saving someone's life as a firefighter is probably the best thing you can do.
And just knowing that every time you put that uniform on, people look up to you because they know that if something goes down, you're the first one to do something. That feeling hasn't gone away. That light, it's not fading out. It continues to be on. My career is coming to an end, but it was a great chapter, and I would like to pass it on to the new generation.
That's part of my training lieutenant position: Educating new people coming in to letting them know how we are public servants. We serve the public no matter what the complaint is, everybody gets treated the same. I don't see color, I don't see anything. Everybody deserves respect and that's what we do. Whatever the call is, we make it better.
Jackie Morreale (08:22)
Wow. Thank you for your service. Thank you for saving that person and letting that person see another day, and other countless people through your efforts to spread the word on mental health awareness.
I don't know what you're going to do in retirement, but I can't wait to find out. I wonder if we could quantify how many people that you have impacted with your positive vibes and your training and all the different things that you have going on from Miami Beach and beyond. But before we do that, let's talk more about you, Claudio Navas, and some of your favorite stuff, maybe in and around Miami. Keep it light.
Claudio Navas (09:00)
Oof, I love the beach. I love teaching my kids everything I love. So, when they grow up, they can say, 'Oh, I've done that a million times with my Dad.' Like paddle boarding, kayaking, biking, skating, running, and swimming. I learned how to swim at 32. My kids started swimming at one. They are professional swimmers now. and they're only four and seven. I never grew up in the water because my mom was terrified of the water. I love doing that.
Jackie Morreale (09:23)
Wow. So you came from Nicaragua, you've been in Miami since you were 12, and you just learned how to swim in your 30s?
Claudio Navas (09:32)
Yes, and I've done multiple triathlons as far as the Ironman, as you can see the flag is there. Very proud of that flag. Yeah. Yeah. There's a sticker that says running wasn't enough, so you got to do three disciplines that you suck at to become good at something. So, I chose swim, bike, and run. I've done everything that they told me I couldn't do. It's why I love it so much.
Jackie Morreale (09:38)
Yes, now you're doing triathlons and swimming competitively.
You have to have the right fuel, to do those three things, running, biking, swimming. What are you eating on say a cheat day, or where's the best place to eat in Miami according to Claudio Navas?
Claudio Navas (10:05)
Oh my gosh. The one thing I lost, I don't know how I lost it, because I used to be a person who loved eating out. I don't really eat out anymore, unless I'm traveling. But what is the best? Let's pick something on Miami Beach that I will say is the best thing to eat.
There's one place that I actually just went last year for the first time and I had it and I was like, whoa.
Jackie Morreale (10:22)
It's tough to pick, right? There are so many places.
Claudio Navas (10:30)
Joe's Stone Crab's Fried Chicken. It's the best.
Jackie Morreale (10:32)
Okay, now I've never been to Joe's Stone Crab, obviously super famous in South Point, right? In Miami Beach.
Claudio Navas (10:35)
Yes, so they have something cool. The fried chicken is only $12, but it's the best fried chicken you'll ever eat. It's incredible how good it is.
Jackie Morreale (10:47)
My gosh, you went to Joe's Stone Crab and ordered the fried chicken, and it was the best fried chicken ever?
Claudio Navas (10:50)
Everybody told me that it was the best. It was the best. Last year, someone actually got it for me. I was like, 'This is the best fried chicken I ever had.'
So I would say the fried chicken at Joe's Stone Crab is the best place to eat it on Miami Beach.
Jackie Morreale (11:07)
I am ready. Thank you for that!
I know we talked about a lot of different activities that you do, paddle boarding and so many other things. I also know that you ski, which is amazing to see. You do everything, all different climates, all different seasons, sports.
Favorite thing to do when you're not running?
Claudio Navas (11:22)
Hmm, I love to sleep. I love to sleep because when I'm at work, my brain is always awake, no matter what I'm doing. When I'm home, you have kids, and the kids have so much energy. They go to bed by 7PM. My wife is from Europe, so she's very disciplined with sleeping. Unlike me, I'm Latino, I can go to sleep at midnight. The moment they go to sleep at 7, I try to be in bed by 8 PM. Because at 6AM they're waking me up.
So, I love sleeping. Because of the schedule I have now, I work in an office schedule, my watch says that I'm doing so good on my sleep because I sleep 10 to 11 hours a night.
Jackie Morreale (11:52)
Well, look, you have to be on 100%, 110%, in everything that you're doing. Very well deserved, and that's great advice.
Favorite sport or sports team?
(Continued below)
Hello and welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes, the podcast that seeks to discover inspiring words in the areas of business, beauty, and betterment. I'm the host, Jackie Morreale. Today, let's focus on the topic of betterment through fitness, mental health, and community-building leadership. I wanna provide a very warm welcome to today's guest, Claudio Navas. Welcome, Claudio!
Claudio Navas (00:26)
Thank you for having me.
Jackie Morreale (00:28)
Thank you so much for being here. Claudio Navas is a firefighter in Miami Beach who has been doing the Miami Half Marathon, hence our shirts, right? Not just for the finish line, but for purpose, since 2012. In full bunker gear alongside hundreds of fellow first responders, Claudio takes on 13.1 miles to shine a light on mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder. He transforms each stride into a statement that first responders are human, that they feel deeply, and that asking for help is a sign of strength.
For January 2026, Claudio is gearing up again to run the Miami Tropical 5K and walk the Miami Half Marathon. This time not just to remember, but to rally, raising awareness for firefighters' mental health, carrying thin red line flags, and spreading hope.
So once again, welcome, Claudio Navas, to Wisdom for Wannabes!
Claudio Navas (01:31)
Thank you for having me. Since we're talking about the Miami Marathon, this is one of my favorite photos right here. At the finish line, that's the 20th year. It was taken during the 20th year.
Jackie Morreale (01:36)
Oh my gosh. I have to show my 20th year medal. We were both there. It's crazy, the 20th year. You did the half marathon in full gear? That's the finish line.
Claudio Navas (01:48)
Yeah, it says 20th year right there. So this is one of my favorite pictures of all times of all the races that I've done because it has a very special meaning. I'm actually going to put it looking at me, so it motivates me to talk.
Jackie Morreale (02:03)
I love it. You are such a special human being. Full gear for 13.1 miles.
Claudio Navas (02:09)
Yes. People thought I was crazy when I started doing it. They looked at me and laughed. You're doing what? The other comments that people would say is like, 'There's no problem with mental health.' I'm like, 'Yes, there is.' More firefighters die by suicide than on the line of duty. So there is a problem. Through the years, people's attention started looking at me differently. Then, eventually, it became a big movement.
It was a very good thing that happened. Back in 2015, not many people would talk about mental health or suicide. It's a word that nobody likes to use, but it's very critical to talk about.
Jackie Morreale (02:40)
I feel so honored to have met you and to be here with you, the person who thought outside the box to connect the dots on things that are so different, running a Miami half marathon, being a firefighter, and spreading awareness for mental health.
Claudio Navas (02:56)
It's beautiful to see it growing every year. Someone reached out to me today, like, 'We're doing the marathon?' I was like, 'Yes, we are. Every year we show up, no matter what.' It's an incredible thing. People used to call me to go to a club or to a bar. Now they call me to go do the Miami Marathon. It's a tradition now. It's been a decade. Someone mentioned that to me, 'You've been doing this for a decade.' I'm like, 'Yes, I have.' Yes, I have. More than a decade, yeah.
Jackie Morreale (03:03)
Yes, we absolutely will show up!
More than a decade. This will be the 14th year?
Claudio Navas (03:22)
Yeah, I started doing the gear in 2015, but I started doing Miami as a better understanding of changing my lifestyle. I wasn't a runner. I used to play baseball and then I went into CrossFit and then I got introduced to running. It all started with my coworker doing half marathons. I was like, 'Let's do it. I want to try. I don't think I can do it, but I'll do it. I will train.'
Jackie Morreale (03:41)
I love that we have that in common. I'm so inspired by you.
I just wanted to point out something that Claudio showed me for those of us who might have a 20th anniversary Miami Half Marathon medal at home. If you flip the medal to the backside, we have an engraving for police, firefighting, and EMS departments as a tribute to those wonderful folks who save lives every single day.
Claudio Navas (04:03)
Yes. That was something that Frankie Ruiz came up with and it was fun. That year, we had over 300 first responders doing the race. Most of them in gear and it was incredible. It was an unforgettable day.
Jackie Morreale (04:19)
Wow, congratulations. This really is such an inspiring movement. Let's take it back to the beginning. I know you work in Miami Beach as a firefighter. Where are you from? What do you do, and what's your passion, in your own words?
Claudio Navas (04:30)
I was born in Nicaragua. I moved to the U.S. when I was 12. I grew up in Miami. I went to Coral Park Senior High, class of 1999. The best of the century, the last of the century.
I love Miami. I've been around for a long time and up here, it's fun. You have the beach, you have all these beautiful places to go. Because of running, I get to explore places I never go to in the past, so it's kind of cool.
Jackie Morreale (04:53)
It is so cool. Miami: That is my favorite place for so many reasons. What do you do – want to share a little bit more about your work for the firefighting department of Miami Beach? What's your passion?
Claudio Navas (05:04)
I work for the Miami Beach Fire Department. I've been doing it for 23 years, going into 24. I do... I'm the training lieutenant for the department. I am a peer support coordinator, which has to do with whenever the fire crews go out on calls that are critical. Like a fire, anybody dies, or anything that people need someone to talk to. We have a team set up with chaplains and other resources that they can reach out on. We are able to help them continue to live a regular life, go back to their families in a healthy way. We teach them coping mechanisms that are important to be able to handle the type of trauma that we see. When I got hired, they didn't teach you that. I never knew what I was getting into. When I go home, I've got to be me. I've got to be a person.
People don't realize what you saw five minutes before they see you. It's a process that you have to learn to be off duty, on duty. But the mindset is always thinking about what you see at work. It's one of the things that I love to share with other people, how to move on from the traumatic situations that we're exposed to.
Jackie Morreale (06:05)
So you got into this line of work because you love people, helping people. Obviously being a Miami Beach firefighter has its benefits of being close to the beach and being with amazing people in Miami Beach, but it sounds like it's a really, really difficult job.
Claudio Navas (06:21)
Yeah, I spend a lot of time at the beach. I love to run by the beach. I live by the water. I love the sunset. Not a sunrise person. If I'm awake, I'll see it. But I love the sunset. I see it every night. I enjoy that we meet so many people from all over the world every day. We get visitors here every day from all over the world. It's nice to make friends. You never know where those friendships will take you. Some of them have become close friends after they leave.
It's just a beautiful city. I tell my kids all the time that because of this beautiful city, we have the life that we live today, from the cars that we drive, to the places we travel to, to the food we eat. I'm very grateful to Miami Beach for everything they have given me and all the lessons and things I've done. It's been an incredible journey so far.
Jackie Morreale (07:03)
What is your favorite part of your role? I can only imagine what your day-to-day is like, but do you have a favorite thing that you do?
Claudio Navas (07:10)
One of my favorite things is saving someone's life. I don't get to go on many calls right now, because of what I do, but every now and then, I do work at the station. I saved someone the last time I worked at the station from committing suicide. To me, that came from heaven because it came to me, to the fire station door and ask for help. That feeling was... no other way to describe it.
Before, it was just another call, but now I understand what they're going through, because it affects everyone. It doesn't matter if you're a firefighter, if you're a doctor, a regular person, mental health affects everybody. He just happened to come to the right person and we were able to get him the help he needed, and he was able to live another day. Saving someone's life as a firefighter is probably the best thing you can do.
And just knowing that every time you put that uniform on, people look up to you because they know that if something goes down, you're the first one to do something. That feeling hasn't gone away. That light, it's not fading out. It continues to be on. My career is coming to an end, but it was a great chapter, and I would like to pass it on to the new generation.
That's part of my training lieutenant position: Educating new people coming in to letting them know how we are public servants. We serve the public no matter what the complaint is, everybody gets treated the same. I don't see color, I don't see anything. Everybody deserves respect and that's what we do. Whatever the call is, we make it better.
Jackie Morreale (08:22)
Wow. Thank you for your service. Thank you for saving that person and letting that person see another day, and other countless people through your efforts to spread the word on mental health awareness.
I don't know what you're going to do in retirement, but I can't wait to find out. I wonder if we could quantify how many people that you have impacted with your positive vibes and your training and all the different things that you have going on from Miami Beach and beyond. But before we do that, let's talk more about you, Claudio Navas, and some of your favorite stuff, maybe in and around Miami. Keep it light.
Claudio Navas (09:00)
Oof, I love the beach. I love teaching my kids everything I love. So, when they grow up, they can say, 'Oh, I've done that a million times with my Dad.' Like paddle boarding, kayaking, biking, skating, running, and swimming. I learned how to swim at 32. My kids started swimming at one. They are professional swimmers now. and they're only four and seven. I never grew up in the water because my mom was terrified of the water. I love doing that.
Jackie Morreale (09:23)
Wow. So you came from Nicaragua, you've been in Miami since you were 12, and you just learned how to swim in your 30s?
Claudio Navas (09:32)
Yes, and I've done multiple triathlons as far as the Ironman, as you can see the flag is there. Very proud of that flag. Yeah. Yeah. There's a sticker that says running wasn't enough, so you got to do three disciplines that you suck at to become good at something. So, I chose swim, bike, and run. I've done everything that they told me I couldn't do. It's why I love it so much.
Jackie Morreale (09:38)
Yes, now you're doing triathlons and swimming competitively.
You have to have the right fuel, to do those three things, running, biking, swimming. What are you eating on say a cheat day, or where's the best place to eat in Miami according to Claudio Navas?
Claudio Navas (10:05)
Oh my gosh. The one thing I lost, I don't know how I lost it, because I used to be a person who loved eating out. I don't really eat out anymore, unless I'm traveling. But what is the best? Let's pick something on Miami Beach that I will say is the best thing to eat.
There's one place that I actually just went last year for the first time and I had it and I was like, whoa.
Jackie Morreale (10:22)
It's tough to pick, right? There are so many places.
Claudio Navas (10:30)
Joe's Stone Crab's Fried Chicken. It's the best.
Jackie Morreale (10:32)
Okay, now I've never been to Joe's Stone Crab, obviously super famous in South Point, right? In Miami Beach.
Claudio Navas (10:35)
Yes, so they have something cool. The fried chicken is only $12, but it's the best fried chicken you'll ever eat. It's incredible how good it is.
Jackie Morreale (10:47)
My gosh, you went to Joe's Stone Crab and ordered the fried chicken, and it was the best fried chicken ever?
Claudio Navas (10:50)
Everybody told me that it was the best. It was the best. Last year, someone actually got it for me. I was like, 'This is the best fried chicken I ever had.'
So I would say the fried chicken at Joe's Stone Crab is the best place to eat it on Miami Beach.
Jackie Morreale (11:07)
I am ready. Thank you for that!
I know we talked about a lot of different activities that you do, paddle boarding and so many other things. I also know that you ski, which is amazing to see. You do everything, all different climates, all different seasons, sports.
Favorite thing to do when you're not running?
Claudio Navas (11:22)
Hmm, I love to sleep. I love to sleep because when I'm at work, my brain is always awake, no matter what I'm doing. When I'm home, you have kids, and the kids have so much energy. They go to bed by 7PM. My wife is from Europe, so she's very disciplined with sleeping. Unlike me, I'm Latino, I can go to sleep at midnight. The moment they go to sleep at 7, I try to be in bed by 8 PM. Because at 6AM they're waking me up.
So, I love sleeping. Because of the schedule I have now, I work in an office schedule, my watch says that I'm doing so good on my sleep because I sleep 10 to 11 hours a night.
Jackie Morreale (11:52)
Well, look, you have to be on 100%, 110%, in everything that you're doing. Very well deserved, and that's great advice.
Favorite sport or sports team?
(Continued below)
Press about Claudio Navas and His Efforts to Advocate Firefighter Mental Health Awareness:
Claudio Navas on CBS News
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Claudio Navas on News7 Miami
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Claudio Navas on Fox35 News
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Claudio Navas on TUDN
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Claudio Navas in EL Nuevo Herald
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Claudio Navas in Miami Herald
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(Continued)
Claudio Navas (11:57)
I love baseball. I grew up watching baseball. Although I am an Inter Miami fan because my brother's an inter Miami fan I got to go to the finals! They finally won a championship. I was there! I don't I know nothing about soccer but because I hang out with my brother, I was priceless!
But I do love baseball. My favorite team is the Cleveland Indians because they had a baseball player from my country when I was a kid, and I loved that team. They never win, but to the day I die, I will be an Indians fan, but they're not called that name anymore. I love baseball. That's my favorite. And I go to all this.
I've gone to all the stadiums in Major League Baseball. That's one hobby that I did. All of them. Actually, I'm missing only one: Seattle, Washington. It’s the only one I haven't gone to. I've gone to 34 or 35.
The only one I'm missing is Seattle, Washington, but I'm waiting for my kids to be bigger because it's a long flight for them.
Jackie Morreale (12:58)
I'm sure you're going to make it to Seattle, Washington and check out that stadium, sooner than later. Proudest moment?
Claudio Navas (13:01)
Yeah, it's on my bucket list.
It all depends. I can give you 2,000 of them right now. So, I'm going to give you the top three.
Becoming a Dad was the best thing that I ever did. That is the coolest adventure of life. Because you never know what you're going to get. Every morning is different.
Then finishing an Ironman was number two.
Then definitely getting this job. I can go on and on.
I have so many things I'm grateful for. I probably could talk into next year about them. It's too many.
Jackie Morreale (13:27)
I love how I asked you your proudest moment and you told me your most grateful moments. I agree that gratefulness is what's going to get you those proud moments. Becoming a dad, finishing an Ironman, and getting that job. Love it. Okay, let's hear the fourth one!
Claudio Navas (13:40)
I got three of them. I got one more left on me. So I'm going to wait. I'm going to wait until the day I retire from work. I'm going to do an Ironman to celebrate. I want my kids to see it so that I can show them that anything is possible.
Jackie Morreale (13:53)
Oh man, your kids are going to be running and biking and swimming and doing Ironmans so much younger than we started doing any of this endurance training stuff. They're going to be on the path to the Olympics, I'm sure.
Claudio Navas (14:03)
I hope so. That's all they see in my house. My wife used to be a trainer. She's always working out. I'm always pretending that I'm working out because I follow my own training plan, and it's all over the place.
Jackie Morreale (14:18)
To do what you do and the Ironmans and to do 13.1 in your full gear. By the way, do you know what the weight of your full gear is?
Claudio Navas (14:26)
It's around 75 pounds with a tank, but it's a psychological game. That's the beauty of running. Running helps you become mentally strong. That's what it comes down to. You don't even feel it. The adrenaline that day was incredible because I just forgot about it. It’s just walk in your city. That's it.
Jackie Morreale (14:41)
I totally agree. Miami, the race, the first half is the most beautiful walking tour. I love every second of it too.
Hidden talent?
Claudio Navas (14:47)
My talent that many people didn't know I had was that I used to be a DJ. I was asked to DJ at work and people were surprised how good I am. I told my wife that going to retire from being a father of a father and I'm just going to become a DJ and travel the world and be famous.
Jackie Morreale (15:10)
I'm buying front row tickets to wherever you decide to spin. I'm so excited. You're in the right place, right? All the best DJs from all over the world go to Miami every year for Ultra and all the other concerts, right? I see Claudia Navas, or do you have a DJ name?
Claudio Navas (15:14)
I'm back in the DJing world for fun right now. There's been a few names thrown out there. I don't have one here.
I was with one of the best DJs in the world this past weekend. I asked him, 'Coming from you, how would you describe in one sentence being on top of the world as a DJ?' His response was, 'Make people happy all over the world.' I was like, ⁓ 'I can do that.' I met all the DJs through my life. I met all of them, all the big ones.
I admire how they went from doing video games to becoming the top five DJs in the world. They told you how it is possible to do it. I was like, 'Maybe I still got it.'
Jackie Morreale (15:58)
Just like you said with running: It's just a matter of willpower, and it's your mind. Can you get through the race? Can you get through it with 75 pounds on? I think whatever you or anyone puts their mind to and genuinely wants, whether it's making people happy through music or whatever, you're going to get it done. You're going to find a way.
Claudio Navas (16:05)
That's it, yeah. I'm teaching my kids how to DJ, too. That's the other thing I'm teaching them now. They might be the first sisters that ever DJed together.
I love DJing back in high school. I actually run into someone at the supermarket the other day that went to high school with me, and he goes, 'Yeah, he used to be the DJ for us.' I was like, 'See!' I go to my mom, 'I still have my following people remember me!'
Jackie Morreale (16:31)
It's crazy how things just line up for a reason. Maybe the timing wasn't right for a while, but now the timing is right. We'll see what happens.
Claudio Navas (16:38)
I DJed a 5K the other day. After I was done, I went to pick up my daughter, and I went to run the same course and I got my medal. It was fun to see it from that angle of the whole production to actually DJing, and then I got to run the course. It was like, this is different, this is cool.
Jackie Morreale (16:53)
You're going to be that guy that shows up at 5 a.m. You're going to do your expo, your 5k, you're going to do your half marathon, and then you're going to DJ at the finish line. I could just see it. And your kids are going to be watching you and cheering you on and dancing in the front. Can't wait to see it.
Claudio Navas (17:03)
My gosh, that would be me one day.
Jackie Morreale (17:11)
I'm telling you, I can't wait.
Favorite book?
Claudio Navas (17:10)
I could make it happen. DJing? Yeah. That would be fun.
Right here. It's called, Struggle Well. There's a course called Struggle Well that is for military and first responders that shows you how to deal with trauma. They introduced me to a word.
I always heard PTSD. Always: PTSD, PTSD.
But they introduced you to something called Post-Traumatic Growth. When I heard that word, I was like, 'Hmm.'
They show you how people that do what I do have improved their life after traumatic incidents that happened. It was incredible. There is a five-day class.
Every morning you show up, you have to tell them: 'What are you grateful for?' Every morning, it was a beautiful day to be there.
It was just life-changing.
It's one of the best courses I've taken as a firefighter.
I recommend that to every single police officer, firefighter, military.
And it's free. That's the beauty of it. It's donated by an organization, and you can go for free. They give you free lunch. It's incredible. It's one of those things that I'm proud to talk about.
Jackie Morreale (18:14)
I would even take it one step further and say almost everyone should experience some sort of gratitude retreat of that kind. Whatever trauma or stress that you've had, it's very hard to be in a bad mood when you're grateful. When you're expressing how grateful you are for things, it's very hard to think about the little things. It's a wonderful way to change your thinking and your patterns.
Claudio Navas (18:20)
I agree. That is true.
Jackie Morreale (18:38)
The book. What's the name of it? One more time. Struggle Well: Thriving in the Aftermath of Trauma.
Claudio Navas (18:40)
Struggle Well. I believe there's a movie about it too. It was incredible. It's life changing. The way the class is, everybody that's part of the peer support here, it's one of the requirements to take that class. Because it helps you find your inner self and become a better person.
Post-traumatic growth. I loved it. I was like, 'Whoa, I like that word.' I never heard that before. It was incredible.
I think education has a lot to do with mental health. It helps you understand why everyone is so different and crazy. Because everybody's crazy in one way or the other. One way or the other, everybody's crazy. I came to that conclusion myself. I'm one of them.
Jackie Morreale (19:18)
To be willing to save people from a fire, I think there is some level of instability involved, as it requires willingly putting one's own life on the line to save others. So, you did know what you signed up for in that way, and that's an incredible person on the inside to be able to do that.
Claudio Navas (19:29)
Yes. Well, when people told me, back when I was single, 'Thank you for your service.' I'm like, 'Hey man, it's my job. You go to work, I go to work.'
But now that I have kids, it's, whoa.
It's like, 'Thank you for your service.' It means, every time you put on that uniform, anything could happen to you.
If something happens, my brain is trained to get in that car and go to the call and do whatever it takes to help someone.
Even if it's not coming home.
I took my kids to New York City, to the Twin Towers, and I took them to a fire station. I showed them all the names of the firefighters that died.
I told them, these were people like me and they were heroes because they died protecting New York City. She knew exactly what the Twin Towers were and she's only seven.
Then all these questions came up and I was like, 'How do I answer this?'
When I go to her school, I'm the fireman. People don't know my name. They know me as the fireman.
As hard as it is, we just had a police officer that died on the line of duty here. His dad was a firefighter, and he grew up in the fire station.
He left three little kids behind. Just knowing that he was at work doing his job.
It hit home so hard. It was extremely hard to deal with.
It's just part of the job though.
They don't tell you when you sign up because you're so young. You just see the excitement.
When the kids come, and you have a wife, it's hard. Dealing with us is not easy. It's because we're always doing stuff.
Jackie Morreale (20:50)
The selflessness that it takes to sign up, and really understand the gravity of it when you have a family, and you're looking out for other people's kids and family, and that's what you do on a daily basis when you leave the house. I'm really sorry for your loss. I'm going to try to smile through that one, because that is not easy to lose brother in arms.
Claudio Navas (21:09)
Yeah, it's hard. It was a tough month. November was difficult. October too, my dad almost died. Then November, my friend died. We had another Miami-Dade cop who got killed. It was related to one of our guys.
My brother's a cop too. My best friend is a cop. My sister-in-law is a cop.
I feel bad for my mom because it's like in the family, you have all this.
I told them, ‘You guys don't know what we see.’
It's a world that nobody understands unless you do it.
The world has changed. People have become more violent. People don't respect the uniform.
But we'll still show up and we'll do what we do.
Jackie Morreale (21:43)
You are an inspiration. Thank you again for all that you do and all that you've given up to be a hero in this way. Favorite quote for life?
(Continued below)
Claudio Navas (11:57)
I love baseball. I grew up watching baseball. Although I am an Inter Miami fan because my brother's an inter Miami fan I got to go to the finals! They finally won a championship. I was there! I don't I know nothing about soccer but because I hang out with my brother, I was priceless!
But I do love baseball. My favorite team is the Cleveland Indians because they had a baseball player from my country when I was a kid, and I loved that team. They never win, but to the day I die, I will be an Indians fan, but they're not called that name anymore. I love baseball. That's my favorite. And I go to all this.
I've gone to all the stadiums in Major League Baseball. That's one hobby that I did. All of them. Actually, I'm missing only one: Seattle, Washington. It’s the only one I haven't gone to. I've gone to 34 or 35.
The only one I'm missing is Seattle, Washington, but I'm waiting for my kids to be bigger because it's a long flight for them.
Jackie Morreale (12:58)
I'm sure you're going to make it to Seattle, Washington and check out that stadium, sooner than later. Proudest moment?
Claudio Navas (13:01)
Yeah, it's on my bucket list.
It all depends. I can give you 2,000 of them right now. So, I'm going to give you the top three.
Becoming a Dad was the best thing that I ever did. That is the coolest adventure of life. Because you never know what you're going to get. Every morning is different.
Then finishing an Ironman was number two.
Then definitely getting this job. I can go on and on.
I have so many things I'm grateful for. I probably could talk into next year about them. It's too many.
Jackie Morreale (13:27)
I love how I asked you your proudest moment and you told me your most grateful moments. I agree that gratefulness is what's going to get you those proud moments. Becoming a dad, finishing an Ironman, and getting that job. Love it. Okay, let's hear the fourth one!
Claudio Navas (13:40)
I got three of them. I got one more left on me. So I'm going to wait. I'm going to wait until the day I retire from work. I'm going to do an Ironman to celebrate. I want my kids to see it so that I can show them that anything is possible.
Jackie Morreale (13:53)
Oh man, your kids are going to be running and biking and swimming and doing Ironmans so much younger than we started doing any of this endurance training stuff. They're going to be on the path to the Olympics, I'm sure.
Claudio Navas (14:03)
I hope so. That's all they see in my house. My wife used to be a trainer. She's always working out. I'm always pretending that I'm working out because I follow my own training plan, and it's all over the place.
Jackie Morreale (14:18)
To do what you do and the Ironmans and to do 13.1 in your full gear. By the way, do you know what the weight of your full gear is?
Claudio Navas (14:26)
It's around 75 pounds with a tank, but it's a psychological game. That's the beauty of running. Running helps you become mentally strong. That's what it comes down to. You don't even feel it. The adrenaline that day was incredible because I just forgot about it. It’s just walk in your city. That's it.
Jackie Morreale (14:41)
I totally agree. Miami, the race, the first half is the most beautiful walking tour. I love every second of it too.
Hidden talent?
Claudio Navas (14:47)
My talent that many people didn't know I had was that I used to be a DJ. I was asked to DJ at work and people were surprised how good I am. I told my wife that going to retire from being a father of a father and I'm just going to become a DJ and travel the world and be famous.
Jackie Morreale (15:10)
I'm buying front row tickets to wherever you decide to spin. I'm so excited. You're in the right place, right? All the best DJs from all over the world go to Miami every year for Ultra and all the other concerts, right? I see Claudia Navas, or do you have a DJ name?
Claudio Navas (15:14)
I'm back in the DJing world for fun right now. There's been a few names thrown out there. I don't have one here.
I was with one of the best DJs in the world this past weekend. I asked him, 'Coming from you, how would you describe in one sentence being on top of the world as a DJ?' His response was, 'Make people happy all over the world.' I was like, ⁓ 'I can do that.' I met all the DJs through my life. I met all of them, all the big ones.
I admire how they went from doing video games to becoming the top five DJs in the world. They told you how it is possible to do it. I was like, 'Maybe I still got it.'
Jackie Morreale (15:58)
Just like you said with running: It's just a matter of willpower, and it's your mind. Can you get through the race? Can you get through it with 75 pounds on? I think whatever you or anyone puts their mind to and genuinely wants, whether it's making people happy through music or whatever, you're going to get it done. You're going to find a way.
Claudio Navas (16:05)
That's it, yeah. I'm teaching my kids how to DJ, too. That's the other thing I'm teaching them now. They might be the first sisters that ever DJed together.
I love DJing back in high school. I actually run into someone at the supermarket the other day that went to high school with me, and he goes, 'Yeah, he used to be the DJ for us.' I was like, 'See!' I go to my mom, 'I still have my following people remember me!'
Jackie Morreale (16:31)
It's crazy how things just line up for a reason. Maybe the timing wasn't right for a while, but now the timing is right. We'll see what happens.
Claudio Navas (16:38)
I DJed a 5K the other day. After I was done, I went to pick up my daughter, and I went to run the same course and I got my medal. It was fun to see it from that angle of the whole production to actually DJing, and then I got to run the course. It was like, this is different, this is cool.
Jackie Morreale (16:53)
You're going to be that guy that shows up at 5 a.m. You're going to do your expo, your 5k, you're going to do your half marathon, and then you're going to DJ at the finish line. I could just see it. And your kids are going to be watching you and cheering you on and dancing in the front. Can't wait to see it.
Claudio Navas (17:03)
My gosh, that would be me one day.
Jackie Morreale (17:11)
I'm telling you, I can't wait.
Favorite book?
Claudio Navas (17:10)
I could make it happen. DJing? Yeah. That would be fun.
Right here. It's called, Struggle Well. There's a course called Struggle Well that is for military and first responders that shows you how to deal with trauma. They introduced me to a word.
I always heard PTSD. Always: PTSD, PTSD.
But they introduced you to something called Post-Traumatic Growth. When I heard that word, I was like, 'Hmm.'
They show you how people that do what I do have improved their life after traumatic incidents that happened. It was incredible. There is a five-day class.
Every morning you show up, you have to tell them: 'What are you grateful for?' Every morning, it was a beautiful day to be there.
It was just life-changing.
It's one of the best courses I've taken as a firefighter.
I recommend that to every single police officer, firefighter, military.
And it's free. That's the beauty of it. It's donated by an organization, and you can go for free. They give you free lunch. It's incredible. It's one of those things that I'm proud to talk about.
Jackie Morreale (18:14)
I would even take it one step further and say almost everyone should experience some sort of gratitude retreat of that kind. Whatever trauma or stress that you've had, it's very hard to be in a bad mood when you're grateful. When you're expressing how grateful you are for things, it's very hard to think about the little things. It's a wonderful way to change your thinking and your patterns.
Claudio Navas (18:20)
I agree. That is true.
Jackie Morreale (18:38)
The book. What's the name of it? One more time. Struggle Well: Thriving in the Aftermath of Trauma.
Claudio Navas (18:40)
Struggle Well. I believe there's a movie about it too. It was incredible. It's life changing. The way the class is, everybody that's part of the peer support here, it's one of the requirements to take that class. Because it helps you find your inner self and become a better person.
Post-traumatic growth. I loved it. I was like, 'Whoa, I like that word.' I never heard that before. It was incredible.
I think education has a lot to do with mental health. It helps you understand why everyone is so different and crazy. Because everybody's crazy in one way or the other. One way or the other, everybody's crazy. I came to that conclusion myself. I'm one of them.
Jackie Morreale (19:18)
To be willing to save people from a fire, I think there is some level of instability involved, as it requires willingly putting one's own life on the line to save others. So, you did know what you signed up for in that way, and that's an incredible person on the inside to be able to do that.
Claudio Navas (19:29)
Yes. Well, when people told me, back when I was single, 'Thank you for your service.' I'm like, 'Hey man, it's my job. You go to work, I go to work.'
But now that I have kids, it's, whoa.
It's like, 'Thank you for your service.' It means, every time you put on that uniform, anything could happen to you.
If something happens, my brain is trained to get in that car and go to the call and do whatever it takes to help someone.
Even if it's not coming home.
I took my kids to New York City, to the Twin Towers, and I took them to a fire station. I showed them all the names of the firefighters that died.
I told them, these were people like me and they were heroes because they died protecting New York City. She knew exactly what the Twin Towers were and she's only seven.
Then all these questions came up and I was like, 'How do I answer this?'
When I go to her school, I'm the fireman. People don't know my name. They know me as the fireman.
As hard as it is, we just had a police officer that died on the line of duty here. His dad was a firefighter, and he grew up in the fire station.
He left three little kids behind. Just knowing that he was at work doing his job.
It hit home so hard. It was extremely hard to deal with.
It's just part of the job though.
They don't tell you when you sign up because you're so young. You just see the excitement.
When the kids come, and you have a wife, it's hard. Dealing with us is not easy. It's because we're always doing stuff.
Jackie Morreale (20:50)
The selflessness that it takes to sign up, and really understand the gravity of it when you have a family, and you're looking out for other people's kids and family, and that's what you do on a daily basis when you leave the house. I'm really sorry for your loss. I'm going to try to smile through that one, because that is not easy to lose brother in arms.
Claudio Navas (21:09)
Yeah, it's hard. It was a tough month. November was difficult. October too, my dad almost died. Then November, my friend died. We had another Miami-Dade cop who got killed. It was related to one of our guys.
My brother's a cop too. My best friend is a cop. My sister-in-law is a cop.
I feel bad for my mom because it's like in the family, you have all this.
I told them, ‘You guys don't know what we see.’
It's a world that nobody understands unless you do it.
The world has changed. People have become more violent. People don't respect the uniform.
But we'll still show up and we'll do what we do.
Jackie Morreale (21:43)
You are an inspiration. Thank you again for all that you do and all that you've given up to be a hero in this way. Favorite quote for life?
(Continued below)
What It's Like to March in the Miami Half Marathon for Mental Health Awareness: (2018 coverage)
(Continued)
Claudio Navas (21:52)
Always do good, you never know who's watching. I get approached by people all the time. I went to a training, and someone came up to me and said, 'Hey, good to see you.' I felt so bad because I didn't know who he was, but I was like, 'Hey, good to see you too.' Then he goes to me, 'Because of you, I started running. Keep doing what you're doing for us. Mental health matters.' I was like, Oh my gosh.
You just never know who's watching you.
I went to the playground and saw a person who was cleaning the playground, where I was in regular clothes with my daughter. Like, 'Is she going to be the next firefighter?' I was like, and so every morning I wake up, I try to do something good for someone that I don't know, just to make the world a better place. One of my favorite quotes is definitely 'Always do good because you never know who's watching you.'
Jackie Morreale (22:33)
You never know what that person's going through, either, right? So you're spreading the good word in so many different ways. There are a lot of people who are going to understand those things from their own experiences and perspectives and relate to you before you even know them. It's hard to put yourself out there in that way, but it's so important.
Let's talk about firefighting. You said when you signed up as a single person, it was different than now, being 20 plus years on the job. How did you get started as a firefighter? You just wanted to torment your mom, or…?
Claudio Navas (23:07)
No, it's actually my dad's fault. I wanted to be a DJ. (Yes, I am a DJ!) The skills are still there. I surprise people all the time.
So, I told my dad, I want to go to school to be a DJ and TV production. He's like, no, no, no, no, no, you've got to go to school. Then you can do that. I was like, 'Okay, I'll go to school.' He worked for someone that was a city of Miami firefighter. I was like, 'Okay, I'll try it out.'
I used to be a waiter at the time in high school and I met some friends that were from Miami-Dade. I asked them, 'You guys are always happy, can I just do a ride along, see what it is to be a firefighter?' And I went.
They invited me to the station and the first call, I was like, 'I'm in.'
The adrenaline is insane.
I called my dad, I'm like, 'I want to be a fireman.' This is what I want to do.
After that, my journey started. As of today, I still go to school just because I learned that education was just never enough.
I've gone all the way to the master's degree, and I almost went for the PhD. I would love to be an attorney. I'm holding those two bucket list goals, but it was my dad's push but I always liked the adrenaline, too.
There were fires when I was a kid and I would be the first one with the fire extinguisher. So it was in me.
I guess it was in my DNA to become a fireman.
I've done so many things. You get to meet celebrities. I work under all the presidents when they come to Miami.
That is one of those things; I never would have dreamed of those things.
You get to do things that are just incredible. You get to meet everybody, and people love you everywhere you go. It's a job that's been nothing but wonderful.
Jackie Morreale (24:33)
What makes the fire department in Miami Beach unique?
Claudio Navas (24:36)
We work in the most beautiful place in the world. People travel to see this city, and we get to see it every day. I get to walk on Ocean Drive while I'm at work. I get to enjoy the sunrises, the beach, the beauty of everything they have here.
I went to Colorado, which was paradise, but then we have another set of paradise here [in Miami].
People come and see it, and every day is beautiful.
There's not a bad day here. If you have a bad day, just walk to the beach. It's free, they don't charge you.
Everything... the Art Deco district is beautiful. You have Lincoln Road. The Bay is beautiful. The views of Downtown are beautiful.
It's just winning the lottery.
I was told that by a senior firefighter when I got hired, 'You won the lottery. You don't see it yet, but you'll see one day.' I see it now. I told the new guys, 'You will see it one day. Because I do, I see it.'
I appreciate it every time I come to work.
Jackie Morreale (25:24)
I'm so excited that you're there and spreading the word in so many different positive ways. Let's talk about some of the peer support and the training that you're doing. What are some of the services that you are offering or spearheading to other firefighters in the Miami Beach Department?
Claudio Navas (25:40)
We have multiple resources available. We have two chaplains, we have multiple numbers that you can call and talk to people that you don't know. Throughout Miami-Dade County, there's different peer supports that meet once a month. We have all the resources and training available for everybody that are free to attend. If you need to talk to someone that doesn't work for Miami Beach, you can call someone in Miami-Dade, City of Miami, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne.
If something big happens, like in Surfside, everybody gets activated to be able to support each other from dealing with what we see. Through the insurance company we have, you can go to places if you need a break, just for a retreat, away from reality. There's so much that we have. The resources are available. The problem we have is that as of today, we still have that ego that people don't want to come forward and say, I need help, or don't want to talk about it. That's my goal.
Going through therapy is okay. I have a list of therapies that are incredible because they know about our mindset. They know about our job and they know how to make it better. I go to therapy myself. I put my entire family in therapy. Everyone goes to therapy and I see the change and I like it. It's a work in progress. Life is not easy, but if you do it and you don't give up, it gets better.
Jackie Morreale (26:50)
Absolutely. Thank you for sharing that, by the way. I agree.
Are there any simple ways that you can show that you're there as a friend to someone who you think might be experiencing mental health issues or PTSD?
Claudio Navas (27:02)
I think the biggest one is listening. Being there for someone when they're struggling. It's not only going out, partying, that's easy to find, but just having someone who listens to you, can maybe give you advice, give you a hug. It makes a difference. Everybody goes through some type of problems in life. You just need someone to listen, someone to talk to. That's why I believe in therapy so much because that's what they do. They listen.
Then they give you advice, and they tell you if you're doing something wrong. You've got to own it. People make mistakes. I'm a human like everybody else. I learned to apologize. I learned to be a better listener because sometimes I'm not a good listener, but I would say listening is the most important one.
Jackie Morreale (27:40)
All the people who call and get you on the other side of the phone to listen to whatever they're going through are very, very fortunate people indeed. To dig that a little bit deeper: Are there any signs to look for for yourself, coworkers or friends who may be experiencing PTSD? Are there any available services that can be used for support for that person, whoever it is, who may be experiencing PTSD?
Claudio Navas (28:05)
Definitely. The signs to look for: People usually isolate from everybody. They just hide, they don't want to talk, they don't communicate. They start posting things or texting things that don't make sense. If something like that happens, you've got to be straightforward and ask them, 'Are you okay? Are you struggling? Are you thinking about hurting yourself?' It's tough questions that you don't want to ask, but sometimes you have to.
It could be a divorce, it could be a simple argument, it could be something else. You have to be able to ask the person. Behavior changes if something is going on. One of the biggest things is isolation. They just detach completely from life, society, hobbies they like. They just hide under the couch and pretend to be normal, but it's not.
You have to be a good friend and be there for others.
There’s a flyer here in front of me, with the phone number: 988.
988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
It's something that you can use for free. You don't know who you're talking to. You can text them. You don't have to call them and they can provide the help you need.
I actually tried it out the other day just to see how it works, and it was incredible and it's free, and 24/7.
There are many other resources out there that all you have to do is pick up the phone and talk to someone, free of charge. You can always call 911 if you need to go to rehab, if you need to go to the hospital to get medications.
I just took a class and they said that the imbalance of hormones is one of the biggest issues, why there's so many problems with mental health. I started thinking about it. I'm like, that makes sense. I have a doctor that's incredible. It does make a difference. So go to the doctor, get a checkup, and your body will make you appreciate that, and your brain will feel a lot better.
Jackie Morreale (29:43)
Agree. Let's talk big picture, because I know you're a big picture kind of guy. I think you're a visionary, Claudio, really. What is your vision for the future of firefighting and mental health awareness?
Claudio Navas (29:48)
I love that. In that medal you showed from the 20th year, I like to take mental pictures of what I see, of special moments in life. There's a picture of that race when we're going up the first bridge at the side of the race and you see all the over 300 first responders in gear with flags and everything. That was one of my visions. I want the fire service to be able to always talk about this topic openly.
To let that ego go, to let that stigma go, because life can move on, as a firefighter, as a police officer, as a person in general.
Mental health affects everybody. It affects everybody in different ways.
Not only running, but all the other crazy hobbies I have, has given me the opportunity to see the beauty of life. Life is beautiful. It all depends how you look at it.
The other day I woke up and I was moody. I was like, 'I've got to find a way to look at life better.' I started listening to music and I was happy again. I went to have lunch with my wife, which we never do because the kids are always around, and it was just a better day.
When you feel down, you've got to find something that lifts you up. I have so many of them.
I have a shirt that says: 'Bucket list: Ironman, check. Bungee jump, check. Skydiving, check.’
Jackie Morreale (31:03)
Have you done that? Do you want to go again? I really want to go skydiving.
Claudio Navas (31:07)
It's a lot of fun. I haven't done it in a while, but it's a lot of fun.
Definitely a different perspective on life. When I did it the first time, my friend goes, 'Well, there's one thing about skydiving. You will come down.' I was like, 'Oh, great. Before I jump out of a plane, you've got to tell me that.'
Jackie Morreale (31:21)
We're on the same page because I know and acknowledge that when stuff is going good in [your mind], everything looks so different out here [in your view of the world].
Claudio Navas (31:29)
So in 2002, I was diagnosed with a tapeworm in my brain. I was home, and I woke up to a firefighter in the house. He took me to the hospital. They diagnosed me with a brain tumor.
My mom is crying, my dad is crying. Eventually, through the days, another doctor told me that it was a tapeworm in my brain called cysticercosis, from eating uncooked pork. It causes epilepsy. It's the number one cause of seizure in the world. That's one cool way to look at it.
My new doctor says, 'Did you know you have the number one cause of epilepsy in the world?'
I was like, 'Cool. So that makes me the part of that 1% that has done an Ironman, skydive, marathon runner, and epilepsy because of a tapeworm?'
When that happened, it was probably the best thing that happened in life, because it opened up the doors for things that I would have never done unless that happened. It was a dark chapter back then when it happened. I gained a lot of weight. I just gave up in life.
One day, I woke up and was like, 'It's time to do something with my life.'
I started running and doing things that I enjoyed, that I was afraid of.
Now I'm fearless and I've done pretty much everything.
I've got to teach my kids to do it with me. It makes it more fun.
Jackie Morreale (32:34)
You've been through it. I'm so sorry.
Claudio Navas (32:37)
Yeah, it was tough back then. Now I laugh about it, but hey, it made me who I am today, so I'll take it.
Jackie Morreale (32:43)
Exactly. It made you: Fearless, Iron Man, Marathon Runner, Firefighter, soon to be famous world DJ.
Claudio Navas (32:50)
Boom, boom, boom.
Jackie Morreale (32:51)
Exactly. You're doing so many amazing things for mental health, even just by sharing your experiences with getting out of a dark place and using sports and fitness to change your life.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to change their life and do a half marathon for the first time?
Claudio Navas (33:10)
Do it.
It's the best decision you'll ever make. You're going to make 20,000 new friends when you show up.
You get to see a beautiful sunrise. You get to explore beautiful Miami Beach, then beautiful Miami on the way back. You get to cross that finish line where you get those butterflies that don't get old. It makes it extra special forever.
Yeah, the bling. I don't have any medals here. I need to bring some of my medals here.
Jackie Morreale (33:29)
The bling. I know that Courtney Einhorn designed this year's amazing metal, so I can't wait to get my own next month. This one from a couple of years back is amazing with the moving pieces. Every year, they continue to outdo themselves in terms of the metal hardware that marathon runners bring home.
So if nothing else, just do it for the metal hardware and then gain all of the health benefits as a result.
Claudio Navas (33:35)
That's it. You can go to all the house parties and tell your friends, ‘Hey, I ran a marathon today.’
(Continued below)
Claudio Navas (21:52)
Always do good, you never know who's watching. I get approached by people all the time. I went to a training, and someone came up to me and said, 'Hey, good to see you.' I felt so bad because I didn't know who he was, but I was like, 'Hey, good to see you too.' Then he goes to me, 'Because of you, I started running. Keep doing what you're doing for us. Mental health matters.' I was like, Oh my gosh.
You just never know who's watching you.
I went to the playground and saw a person who was cleaning the playground, where I was in regular clothes with my daughter. Like, 'Is she going to be the next firefighter?' I was like, and so every morning I wake up, I try to do something good for someone that I don't know, just to make the world a better place. One of my favorite quotes is definitely 'Always do good because you never know who's watching you.'
Jackie Morreale (22:33)
You never know what that person's going through, either, right? So you're spreading the good word in so many different ways. There are a lot of people who are going to understand those things from their own experiences and perspectives and relate to you before you even know them. It's hard to put yourself out there in that way, but it's so important.
Let's talk about firefighting. You said when you signed up as a single person, it was different than now, being 20 plus years on the job. How did you get started as a firefighter? You just wanted to torment your mom, or…?
Claudio Navas (23:07)
No, it's actually my dad's fault. I wanted to be a DJ. (Yes, I am a DJ!) The skills are still there. I surprise people all the time.
So, I told my dad, I want to go to school to be a DJ and TV production. He's like, no, no, no, no, no, you've got to go to school. Then you can do that. I was like, 'Okay, I'll go to school.' He worked for someone that was a city of Miami firefighter. I was like, 'Okay, I'll try it out.'
I used to be a waiter at the time in high school and I met some friends that were from Miami-Dade. I asked them, 'You guys are always happy, can I just do a ride along, see what it is to be a firefighter?' And I went.
They invited me to the station and the first call, I was like, 'I'm in.'
The adrenaline is insane.
I called my dad, I'm like, 'I want to be a fireman.' This is what I want to do.
After that, my journey started. As of today, I still go to school just because I learned that education was just never enough.
I've gone all the way to the master's degree, and I almost went for the PhD. I would love to be an attorney. I'm holding those two bucket list goals, but it was my dad's push but I always liked the adrenaline, too.
There were fires when I was a kid and I would be the first one with the fire extinguisher. So it was in me.
I guess it was in my DNA to become a fireman.
I've done so many things. You get to meet celebrities. I work under all the presidents when they come to Miami.
That is one of those things; I never would have dreamed of those things.
You get to do things that are just incredible. You get to meet everybody, and people love you everywhere you go. It's a job that's been nothing but wonderful.
Jackie Morreale (24:33)
What makes the fire department in Miami Beach unique?
Claudio Navas (24:36)
We work in the most beautiful place in the world. People travel to see this city, and we get to see it every day. I get to walk on Ocean Drive while I'm at work. I get to enjoy the sunrises, the beach, the beauty of everything they have here.
I went to Colorado, which was paradise, but then we have another set of paradise here [in Miami].
People come and see it, and every day is beautiful.
There's not a bad day here. If you have a bad day, just walk to the beach. It's free, they don't charge you.
Everything... the Art Deco district is beautiful. You have Lincoln Road. The Bay is beautiful. The views of Downtown are beautiful.
It's just winning the lottery.
I was told that by a senior firefighter when I got hired, 'You won the lottery. You don't see it yet, but you'll see one day.' I see it now. I told the new guys, 'You will see it one day. Because I do, I see it.'
I appreciate it every time I come to work.
Jackie Morreale (25:24)
I'm so excited that you're there and spreading the word in so many different positive ways. Let's talk about some of the peer support and the training that you're doing. What are some of the services that you are offering or spearheading to other firefighters in the Miami Beach Department?
Claudio Navas (25:40)
We have multiple resources available. We have two chaplains, we have multiple numbers that you can call and talk to people that you don't know. Throughout Miami-Dade County, there's different peer supports that meet once a month. We have all the resources and training available for everybody that are free to attend. If you need to talk to someone that doesn't work for Miami Beach, you can call someone in Miami-Dade, City of Miami, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne.
If something big happens, like in Surfside, everybody gets activated to be able to support each other from dealing with what we see. Through the insurance company we have, you can go to places if you need a break, just for a retreat, away from reality. There's so much that we have. The resources are available. The problem we have is that as of today, we still have that ego that people don't want to come forward and say, I need help, or don't want to talk about it. That's my goal.
Going through therapy is okay. I have a list of therapies that are incredible because they know about our mindset. They know about our job and they know how to make it better. I go to therapy myself. I put my entire family in therapy. Everyone goes to therapy and I see the change and I like it. It's a work in progress. Life is not easy, but if you do it and you don't give up, it gets better.
Jackie Morreale (26:50)
Absolutely. Thank you for sharing that, by the way. I agree.
Are there any simple ways that you can show that you're there as a friend to someone who you think might be experiencing mental health issues or PTSD?
Claudio Navas (27:02)
I think the biggest one is listening. Being there for someone when they're struggling. It's not only going out, partying, that's easy to find, but just having someone who listens to you, can maybe give you advice, give you a hug. It makes a difference. Everybody goes through some type of problems in life. You just need someone to listen, someone to talk to. That's why I believe in therapy so much because that's what they do. They listen.
Then they give you advice, and they tell you if you're doing something wrong. You've got to own it. People make mistakes. I'm a human like everybody else. I learned to apologize. I learned to be a better listener because sometimes I'm not a good listener, but I would say listening is the most important one.
Jackie Morreale (27:40)
All the people who call and get you on the other side of the phone to listen to whatever they're going through are very, very fortunate people indeed. To dig that a little bit deeper: Are there any signs to look for for yourself, coworkers or friends who may be experiencing PTSD? Are there any available services that can be used for support for that person, whoever it is, who may be experiencing PTSD?
Claudio Navas (28:05)
Definitely. The signs to look for: People usually isolate from everybody. They just hide, they don't want to talk, they don't communicate. They start posting things or texting things that don't make sense. If something like that happens, you've got to be straightforward and ask them, 'Are you okay? Are you struggling? Are you thinking about hurting yourself?' It's tough questions that you don't want to ask, but sometimes you have to.
It could be a divorce, it could be a simple argument, it could be something else. You have to be able to ask the person. Behavior changes if something is going on. One of the biggest things is isolation. They just detach completely from life, society, hobbies they like. They just hide under the couch and pretend to be normal, but it's not.
You have to be a good friend and be there for others.
There’s a flyer here in front of me, with the phone number: 988.
988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
It's something that you can use for free. You don't know who you're talking to. You can text them. You don't have to call them and they can provide the help you need.
I actually tried it out the other day just to see how it works, and it was incredible and it's free, and 24/7.
There are many other resources out there that all you have to do is pick up the phone and talk to someone, free of charge. You can always call 911 if you need to go to rehab, if you need to go to the hospital to get medications.
I just took a class and they said that the imbalance of hormones is one of the biggest issues, why there's so many problems with mental health. I started thinking about it. I'm like, that makes sense. I have a doctor that's incredible. It does make a difference. So go to the doctor, get a checkup, and your body will make you appreciate that, and your brain will feel a lot better.
Jackie Morreale (29:43)
Agree. Let's talk big picture, because I know you're a big picture kind of guy. I think you're a visionary, Claudio, really. What is your vision for the future of firefighting and mental health awareness?
Claudio Navas (29:48)
I love that. In that medal you showed from the 20th year, I like to take mental pictures of what I see, of special moments in life. There's a picture of that race when we're going up the first bridge at the side of the race and you see all the over 300 first responders in gear with flags and everything. That was one of my visions. I want the fire service to be able to always talk about this topic openly.
To let that ego go, to let that stigma go, because life can move on, as a firefighter, as a police officer, as a person in general.
Mental health affects everybody. It affects everybody in different ways.
Not only running, but all the other crazy hobbies I have, has given me the opportunity to see the beauty of life. Life is beautiful. It all depends how you look at it.
The other day I woke up and I was moody. I was like, 'I've got to find a way to look at life better.' I started listening to music and I was happy again. I went to have lunch with my wife, which we never do because the kids are always around, and it was just a better day.
When you feel down, you've got to find something that lifts you up. I have so many of them.
I have a shirt that says: 'Bucket list: Ironman, check. Bungee jump, check. Skydiving, check.’
Jackie Morreale (31:03)
Have you done that? Do you want to go again? I really want to go skydiving.
Claudio Navas (31:07)
It's a lot of fun. I haven't done it in a while, but it's a lot of fun.
Definitely a different perspective on life. When I did it the first time, my friend goes, 'Well, there's one thing about skydiving. You will come down.' I was like, 'Oh, great. Before I jump out of a plane, you've got to tell me that.'
Jackie Morreale (31:21)
We're on the same page because I know and acknowledge that when stuff is going good in [your mind], everything looks so different out here [in your view of the world].
Claudio Navas (31:29)
So in 2002, I was diagnosed with a tapeworm in my brain. I was home, and I woke up to a firefighter in the house. He took me to the hospital. They diagnosed me with a brain tumor.
My mom is crying, my dad is crying. Eventually, through the days, another doctor told me that it was a tapeworm in my brain called cysticercosis, from eating uncooked pork. It causes epilepsy. It's the number one cause of seizure in the world. That's one cool way to look at it.
My new doctor says, 'Did you know you have the number one cause of epilepsy in the world?'
I was like, 'Cool. So that makes me the part of that 1% that has done an Ironman, skydive, marathon runner, and epilepsy because of a tapeworm?'
When that happened, it was probably the best thing that happened in life, because it opened up the doors for things that I would have never done unless that happened. It was a dark chapter back then when it happened. I gained a lot of weight. I just gave up in life.
One day, I woke up and was like, 'It's time to do something with my life.'
I started running and doing things that I enjoyed, that I was afraid of.
Now I'm fearless and I've done pretty much everything.
I've got to teach my kids to do it with me. It makes it more fun.
Jackie Morreale (32:34)
You've been through it. I'm so sorry.
Claudio Navas (32:37)
Yeah, it was tough back then. Now I laugh about it, but hey, it made me who I am today, so I'll take it.
Jackie Morreale (32:43)
Exactly. It made you: Fearless, Iron Man, Marathon Runner, Firefighter, soon to be famous world DJ.
Claudio Navas (32:50)
Boom, boom, boom.
Jackie Morreale (32:51)
Exactly. You're doing so many amazing things for mental health, even just by sharing your experiences with getting out of a dark place and using sports and fitness to change your life.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to change their life and do a half marathon for the first time?
Claudio Navas (33:10)
Do it.
It's the best decision you'll ever make. You're going to make 20,000 new friends when you show up.
You get to see a beautiful sunrise. You get to explore beautiful Miami Beach, then beautiful Miami on the way back. You get to cross that finish line where you get those butterflies that don't get old. It makes it extra special forever.
Yeah, the bling. I don't have any medals here. I need to bring some of my medals here.
Jackie Morreale (33:29)
The bling. I know that Courtney Einhorn designed this year's amazing metal, so I can't wait to get my own next month. This one from a couple of years back is amazing with the moving pieces. Every year, they continue to outdo themselves in terms of the metal hardware that marathon runners bring home.
So if nothing else, just do it for the metal hardware and then gain all of the health benefits as a result.
Claudio Navas (33:35)
That's it. You can go to all the house parties and tell your friends, ‘Hey, I ran a marathon today.’
(Continued below)
Claudio Navas In Action in Miami Races:
Claudio Navas with friends at the Miami Half Marathon 2025.
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Claudio Navas marches in Miami Beach to commemorate 9/11.
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Claudio Navas with friends after running in Miami Beach as a St. Jude Hero.
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(Continued)
Jackie Morreale (34:00)
Exactly, just the bragging rights alone are worth it. I totally agree.
Then you get a whole life change in addition to the bragging rights.
So, shout-outs to anybody or any organizations who have helped you get to where you are today?
Claudio Navas (34:04)
Definitely. There are so many people I'm grateful for. My department, my boss, and my family have supported me.
Frankie Ruiz and Lifetime staff: They're like family because they have supported me from day one. Without them, it would have never happened.
It's just a beautiful story that was born out of something tragic, that sadly continues to happen. We actually lost a firefighter in Miami Beach to suicide last year.
In 2026, we're going to have the sister working with us and some family members. We're going to be honoring him because it was another one that we lost to mental health.
It's a topic that's very close to my heart. I lost too many friends. In fact, two of my Fire Academy classmates committed suicide.
It continues to happen. Every day there's one, whether it's a cop or a military or a regular citizen, it just shouldn't happen. There are so many resources out there that we need to use and take advantage of them.
Jackie Morreale (35:04)
We talked about firefighting, we talked about mental health abstractly, but why the mental health issues for firefighters and first responders in particular?
Claudio Navas (35:17)
I'm going to use an example. This past weekend, I worked every day because it was a busy weekend for us. I wasn't on the calls, but you hear the calls come in. It's like, 'Traffic accident!'
You go to the call, someone dies.
Then you clear that call, then you go to a fire, someone dies. Then you go back in service, you go to another call.
In just 24 hours, you saw all this trauma and then you go home. Your kids and wife are waiting for you, or your husband, and they have a to do list of things to do. They have expectations of you to do and your brain is just not able to process all those emotions.
You go from sleeping to waking up to a call to do CPR on someone.
Through the years of no sleep and doing all those things, if you don't manipulate your brain to understand that it's part of your job to get help to talk about it, to be able to decompress.
If you don't have the right coping mechanism, it just doesn't get better.
It gets worse because what you see, you don't forget. We talk about it all the time. We're driving down the street.
When I drive by Surfside, my brother was in Surfside, I my sister-in-law was one of the officers that arrived in Surfisde first. I went to Surfisde two days after it happened. It will forever be a place that would be close to my heart because so many lives were lost in a safe place. When you're home and you're sleeping and they see us, you don't forget.
In general, over the years, I have so many memories of things that I've seen that just don't go away. It's like a little scar.
One of my coworkers said the other day, 'It's like when you get a backpack, when you're new.
Open the backpack, and every time you go on a call, you put a rock.
Every time you go on, you put another rock. Then 20 years later, that rock is so heavy that you cannot carry it anymore.'
If you don't decompress, if you don't have the right support system, if you don't have the coping mechanisms, you become a person that you're not happy with anymore.
Why is the suicide rate so high?
I wish I knew the answer because I would stop it right away.
We're losing more first responders to suicide than we are to the line of duty. It's just not right.
The resources are there, the education, is there, the support is there.
We have an ego problem. We have the stigma that people don't want to come forward and say, 'Hey, I need help. Please listen to my story.'
They could be sitting next to you on the truck. Our guy that we lost here, I worked with him probably three days before he committed suicide. If there was any sign, I didn't see them.
And other people didn't see them. It's just sad that it happened.
It's a tough topic. I get it. I have friends that struggle outside of being firefighters. I try to be there for them, and check on them, but it's life. You have to learn how to get through life.
That's where this beautiful book, Struggle Well, is incredible because it shows you that post-traumatic growth.
Imagine you see a car accident, it's like, 'Whoa, that's horrible.'
We see them multiple times a day when we work.
Jackie Morreale (37:57)
You mentioned Surfside. I think everybody since Surfside has that little bit of trauma, 'My gosh, what happened in Surfside? Could that happen to me in my building?' The fact that you and your family members were there as first responders to respond to that horrible tragedy.
That is a rock in your backpack.
Claudio Navas (38:15)
Yeah, it's definitely a big rock.
Surfside was a place that everybody was supposed to be safe and it happened for unknown reasons. It was a tragic moment for everybody.
Jackie Morreale (38:27)
Have you ever seen that sculpture in Miami in downtown across from the Kaseya Center? It's a man keeled over with a huge brick attached to his body.
Claudio Navas (38:38)
Yes, I have.
Jackie Morreale (38:39)
I saw it recently, and who knows, maybe I've seen it before, but I looked at it with more understanding. And that is right where the marathon lines up, right in front of the Kaseya Center, right in front of that statue of the man who's holding this enormous brick that's bigger than his body.
I think we all have our backpack with the rocks that we add to it. What you're doing to train people and to listen and be there is just helping so many people in so many different ways.
If only we could all be more like you.
I wanna be more like you, Claudio. You really are a special person.
Claudio Navas (39:19)
One thing: You don't have to fight it alone. There's help, there are friends, there's family, and there's everything available. All you have to do is ask, come forward, text that number, 988, it's free. They don't even know who you are, they don't know your name, they don't know how you look. Maybe by talking, you can realize how good life can be.
It's something close to my heart. I put in the training and am trying to understand why it's happening, but it's a long process.
Jackie Morreale (39:46)
We are very lucky that you are there fighting the good fight and helping so many people to get past mental health issues. Miami Beach Fire Department is so lucky that you're training the next gen of leaders.
I can't wait to see how many people are going to be running with you in January alongside and so many brothers and sisters in arms.
I'm not a firefighter and if there's anything that I can do to be part of the effort to support you guys, I can't wait to do it.
Claudio Navas (40:14)
Everybody's welcome to join us. We had a firefighter from France that joined us one year. We had a priest that joined us. We’ve had attorneys, the mayor of city of Miami joined us one time. Everybody's welcome.
I call it paying it forward.
Running was very good to me, and I love to introduce it to other people.
This other firefighter recently told me that because of me, he started running. It's the happy moments in life that I take a mental picture of. That is a proud moment; because of me, you did something that I love and to see it grow every single day in different organizations, different parts of the world.
It was all because of the way I was coping with losing a friend and it came from the heart.
It will continue until my body says no, but then there's a wheelchair division that you can do, and I would push myself to do it.
Jackie Morreale (40:57)
The wheelchair division, by the way, is quite competitive. They've flown by me many, many times. I agree and I love the call. So Mayor Suarez, right?
Claudio Navas (41:02)
He was. He did it with us once or twice. I don't remember exactly, but he was there. It was good to see the support from everybody throughout the years. It's been incredible.
Last year, there was, I call her the legend. She's done the marathon every single year and she's done hundreds of them, but she got hit by a car and broke her femur.
Alex from Lifetime called me, he's like, 'Hey, will you push someone on a wheelchair during the half marathon?' I'm like, 'To keep the streak alive, I'm in.'
I didn't know who, how, where we're going to get the wheelchair from. They got me a wheelchair. The problem with the wheelchair is that they're pushing it, and the entire time, I'm praying, please don't break, please don't break.
She finished! The streak stayed alive. She's doing it with us this year again, but she'll be able to walk it. So, she'll be there for 2026.
Jackie Morreale (41:52)
My gosh, you are just one incredible, inspiring story after another. I'm blown away.
Is there anything else that we can do to put out the call to get people involved with your efforts to promote mental health and PTSD awareness at the Miami Half Marathon this year or in future years?
Claudio Navas (42:13)
Join the movement, everybody's welcome. I want everybody to experience what I experience because in my eyes, it's magical every time, no matter how many times I've done it. Miami's number one. I've done races all over the world, but Miami is my hometown and I love everything.
Hey, run Miami! Frankie, there are so many people behind the scenes. Laura, Alex, Oscar, the list can go on and on. There are so many names.
What they do is so magical that everyone in Miami should experience it.
Even if you don't run, come out and support. Cheering everybody on because people travel the world to do Miami. It's that beautiful.
Jackie Morreale (42:47)
It's so beautiful. I can't wait. There are so many ways to get involved. Just show up and bring your energy, bring your love, bring a sign.
Claudio Navas (42:55)
Yes, that's it. It doesn't take much. I'm excited. It's only a days away too, so I’ve got to get people signed up!
Jackie Morreale (43:03)
Exactly. Is there anything else that you want to talk about, Claudio?
Claudio Navas (43:07)
I want to let everybody know: Be good, be kind, and love yourself. Life is beautiful. No matter what you're going through, we all have our personalities, our issues. Learn to continue on because at the end of the day, there's someone who loves you out there, and you never know who's watching you. I learned that this week.
Jackie Morreale (43:24)
I'm so glad that I pushed record on this podcast because I think I'm just going to watch it every single day. You are this ray of sunshine just exuding from every pore of your being.
I really appreciate your time and everything that you are doing and have done for mental health awareness, for Miami Beach Fire Department, for Miami Half Marathon, Tropical 5K.
Your impact is just exponential.
Claudio Navas (43:49)
Thank you for having me. It was nice meeting you.
Jackie Morreale (43:52)
Thank you so much for everything. See you next month in Miami.
Take care. Have a great day.
Claudio Navas (43:52)
Yes, I'll be there. I'm excited. Yes. Thank you for having me.
My gosh, the bling. All about that bling. You too. Bye!
To learn more about the Miami Marathon, visit: https://www.themiamimarathon.com/
To learn more about Claudio Navas and his work with the Miami Beach Fire Department, visit: https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/fire/
If you or someone you know needs immediate suicide or crisis support, dial: 988
Jackie Morreale (34:00)
Exactly, just the bragging rights alone are worth it. I totally agree.
Then you get a whole life change in addition to the bragging rights.
So, shout-outs to anybody or any organizations who have helped you get to where you are today?
Claudio Navas (34:04)
Definitely. There are so many people I'm grateful for. My department, my boss, and my family have supported me.
Frankie Ruiz and Lifetime staff: They're like family because they have supported me from day one. Without them, it would have never happened.
It's just a beautiful story that was born out of something tragic, that sadly continues to happen. We actually lost a firefighter in Miami Beach to suicide last year.
In 2026, we're going to have the sister working with us and some family members. We're going to be honoring him because it was another one that we lost to mental health.
It's a topic that's very close to my heart. I lost too many friends. In fact, two of my Fire Academy classmates committed suicide.
It continues to happen. Every day there's one, whether it's a cop or a military or a regular citizen, it just shouldn't happen. There are so many resources out there that we need to use and take advantage of them.
Jackie Morreale (35:04)
We talked about firefighting, we talked about mental health abstractly, but why the mental health issues for firefighters and first responders in particular?
Claudio Navas (35:17)
I'm going to use an example. This past weekend, I worked every day because it was a busy weekend for us. I wasn't on the calls, but you hear the calls come in. It's like, 'Traffic accident!'
You go to the call, someone dies.
Then you clear that call, then you go to a fire, someone dies. Then you go back in service, you go to another call.
In just 24 hours, you saw all this trauma and then you go home. Your kids and wife are waiting for you, or your husband, and they have a to do list of things to do. They have expectations of you to do and your brain is just not able to process all those emotions.
You go from sleeping to waking up to a call to do CPR on someone.
Through the years of no sleep and doing all those things, if you don't manipulate your brain to understand that it's part of your job to get help to talk about it, to be able to decompress.
If you don't have the right coping mechanism, it just doesn't get better.
It gets worse because what you see, you don't forget. We talk about it all the time. We're driving down the street.
When I drive by Surfside, my brother was in Surfside, I my sister-in-law was one of the officers that arrived in Surfisde first. I went to Surfisde two days after it happened. It will forever be a place that would be close to my heart because so many lives were lost in a safe place. When you're home and you're sleeping and they see us, you don't forget.
In general, over the years, I have so many memories of things that I've seen that just don't go away. It's like a little scar.
One of my coworkers said the other day, 'It's like when you get a backpack, when you're new.
Open the backpack, and every time you go on a call, you put a rock.
Every time you go on, you put another rock. Then 20 years later, that rock is so heavy that you cannot carry it anymore.'
If you don't decompress, if you don't have the right support system, if you don't have the coping mechanisms, you become a person that you're not happy with anymore.
Why is the suicide rate so high?
I wish I knew the answer because I would stop it right away.
We're losing more first responders to suicide than we are to the line of duty. It's just not right.
The resources are there, the education, is there, the support is there.
We have an ego problem. We have the stigma that people don't want to come forward and say, 'Hey, I need help. Please listen to my story.'
They could be sitting next to you on the truck. Our guy that we lost here, I worked with him probably three days before he committed suicide. If there was any sign, I didn't see them.
And other people didn't see them. It's just sad that it happened.
It's a tough topic. I get it. I have friends that struggle outside of being firefighters. I try to be there for them, and check on them, but it's life. You have to learn how to get through life.
That's where this beautiful book, Struggle Well, is incredible because it shows you that post-traumatic growth.
Imagine you see a car accident, it's like, 'Whoa, that's horrible.'
We see them multiple times a day when we work.
Jackie Morreale (37:57)
You mentioned Surfside. I think everybody since Surfside has that little bit of trauma, 'My gosh, what happened in Surfside? Could that happen to me in my building?' The fact that you and your family members were there as first responders to respond to that horrible tragedy.
That is a rock in your backpack.
Claudio Navas (38:15)
Yeah, it's definitely a big rock.
Surfside was a place that everybody was supposed to be safe and it happened for unknown reasons. It was a tragic moment for everybody.
Jackie Morreale (38:27)
Have you ever seen that sculpture in Miami in downtown across from the Kaseya Center? It's a man keeled over with a huge brick attached to his body.
Claudio Navas (38:38)
Yes, I have.
Jackie Morreale (38:39)
I saw it recently, and who knows, maybe I've seen it before, but I looked at it with more understanding. And that is right where the marathon lines up, right in front of the Kaseya Center, right in front of that statue of the man who's holding this enormous brick that's bigger than his body.
I think we all have our backpack with the rocks that we add to it. What you're doing to train people and to listen and be there is just helping so many people in so many different ways.
If only we could all be more like you.
I wanna be more like you, Claudio. You really are a special person.
Claudio Navas (39:19)
One thing: You don't have to fight it alone. There's help, there are friends, there's family, and there's everything available. All you have to do is ask, come forward, text that number, 988, it's free. They don't even know who you are, they don't know your name, they don't know how you look. Maybe by talking, you can realize how good life can be.
It's something close to my heart. I put in the training and am trying to understand why it's happening, but it's a long process.
Jackie Morreale (39:46)
We are very lucky that you are there fighting the good fight and helping so many people to get past mental health issues. Miami Beach Fire Department is so lucky that you're training the next gen of leaders.
I can't wait to see how many people are going to be running with you in January alongside and so many brothers and sisters in arms.
I'm not a firefighter and if there's anything that I can do to be part of the effort to support you guys, I can't wait to do it.
Claudio Navas (40:14)
Everybody's welcome to join us. We had a firefighter from France that joined us one year. We had a priest that joined us. We’ve had attorneys, the mayor of city of Miami joined us one time. Everybody's welcome.
I call it paying it forward.
Running was very good to me, and I love to introduce it to other people.
This other firefighter recently told me that because of me, he started running. It's the happy moments in life that I take a mental picture of. That is a proud moment; because of me, you did something that I love and to see it grow every single day in different organizations, different parts of the world.
It was all because of the way I was coping with losing a friend and it came from the heart.
It will continue until my body says no, but then there's a wheelchair division that you can do, and I would push myself to do it.
Jackie Morreale (40:57)
The wheelchair division, by the way, is quite competitive. They've flown by me many, many times. I agree and I love the call. So Mayor Suarez, right?
Claudio Navas (41:02)
He was. He did it with us once or twice. I don't remember exactly, but he was there. It was good to see the support from everybody throughout the years. It's been incredible.
Last year, there was, I call her the legend. She's done the marathon every single year and she's done hundreds of them, but she got hit by a car and broke her femur.
Alex from Lifetime called me, he's like, 'Hey, will you push someone on a wheelchair during the half marathon?' I'm like, 'To keep the streak alive, I'm in.'
I didn't know who, how, where we're going to get the wheelchair from. They got me a wheelchair. The problem with the wheelchair is that they're pushing it, and the entire time, I'm praying, please don't break, please don't break.
She finished! The streak stayed alive. She's doing it with us this year again, but she'll be able to walk it. So, she'll be there for 2026.
Jackie Morreale (41:52)
My gosh, you are just one incredible, inspiring story after another. I'm blown away.
Is there anything else that we can do to put out the call to get people involved with your efforts to promote mental health and PTSD awareness at the Miami Half Marathon this year or in future years?
Claudio Navas (42:13)
Join the movement, everybody's welcome. I want everybody to experience what I experience because in my eyes, it's magical every time, no matter how many times I've done it. Miami's number one. I've done races all over the world, but Miami is my hometown and I love everything.
Hey, run Miami! Frankie, there are so many people behind the scenes. Laura, Alex, Oscar, the list can go on and on. There are so many names.
What they do is so magical that everyone in Miami should experience it.
Even if you don't run, come out and support. Cheering everybody on because people travel the world to do Miami. It's that beautiful.
Jackie Morreale (42:47)
It's so beautiful. I can't wait. There are so many ways to get involved. Just show up and bring your energy, bring your love, bring a sign.
Claudio Navas (42:55)
Yes, that's it. It doesn't take much. I'm excited. It's only a days away too, so I’ve got to get people signed up!
Jackie Morreale (43:03)
Exactly. Is there anything else that you want to talk about, Claudio?
Claudio Navas (43:07)
I want to let everybody know: Be good, be kind, and love yourself. Life is beautiful. No matter what you're going through, we all have our personalities, our issues. Learn to continue on because at the end of the day, there's someone who loves you out there, and you never know who's watching you. I learned that this week.
Jackie Morreale (43:24)
I'm so glad that I pushed record on this podcast because I think I'm just going to watch it every single day. You are this ray of sunshine just exuding from every pore of your being.
I really appreciate your time and everything that you are doing and have done for mental health awareness, for Miami Beach Fire Department, for Miami Half Marathon, Tropical 5K.
Your impact is just exponential.
Claudio Navas (43:49)
Thank you for having me. It was nice meeting you.
Jackie Morreale (43:52)
Thank you so much for everything. See you next month in Miami.
Take care. Have a great day.
Claudio Navas (43:52)
Yes, I'll be there. I'm excited. Yes. Thank you for having me.
My gosh, the bling. All about that bling. You too. Bye!
To learn more about the Miami Marathon, visit: https://www.themiamimarathon.com/
To learn more about Claudio Navas and his work with the Miami Beach Fire Department, visit: https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/fire/
If you or someone you know needs immediate suicide or crisis support, dial: 988
Continued reading, recommended by Claudio Navas:
Struggle Well: Thriving in the Aftermath of Trauma. Published March 28, 2018. By Ken Falke (Author), Josh Goldberg (Author).
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