Ky. Firefighter Chosen for Cover of Men's Health Magazine

Banker, firefighter, paramedic are among the titles Tim Boniface has.

Now, he can add 2015 Ultimate Men's Health Guy.

Men's Health Magazine made their selection of Boniface on the Today Show Monday morning.

The Lexington, Ky. firefighter's photo will appear on the cover of Men's Health, and an article will detail the story about how Sept. 11 changed his life as well as his passion for fitness and nutrition. 

While working in the financial world in New York, he got to know several FDNY firefighters as their firehouse was near his favorite coffee shop. He stopped to chat in the morning and after work. 

He moved to Virginia, and was working in an office across from the Pentagon when the plane hit it. After learning that some of those FDNY firefighters he chatted with were killed, Boniface turned away from balancing figures to working on his.

He said he learned many things, among them, that the number one cause of death in firefighters is cardiac arrest. “The first 15 to 20 minutes, when you come on a scene of a fire, is the most physically taxing thing a firefighter will ever do. The equipment is heavy, it is hot and you can’t see a thing. It is not like what you see in Hollywood,” he said during a recent televised interview.

He told reporters he chose Lexington because of its competitiveness. Getting the job wasn't easy, but he refused to give up.

Boniface hopes firefighters across the nation will share his love for fitness. 

“If we are in shape and are healthy, we can better serve our citizens. We can respond faster. We are better at our job. If I can help one person change their diet, get fit and to prevent cardiac arrest, then I’ve done my job.”

Even before being announced as the winner, the firefighter/medic said he already felt like one. “The CEO promised me he would help get the word out about firefighters and cardiac arrest, so I already feel like I’m a winner.”

He readily admitted that firefighters love to eat. 

Boniface not only wants his colleagues to be at their peak while on duty, he wants them to enjoy long retirements as well.