By FireRescue1 Staff
RAPID CITY, S.D. — After Jonny Knutson shed nearly 150 pounds to become an MMA fighter, he is now setting his sights on the fire service.
Knutson, 28, said he “just woke up one day and I found fighting and I decided to lose weight.” Knutson said at his heaviest he weighed 320 pounds.
Following his weight loss, Knutson became an MMA fighter. But now, he said he wants to serve his community, and is completing an 11-week academy recruitment class.
“If I’m determined to do something, I won’t stop, whether it’s losing weight or something else,” Knutson told the Rapid City Journal. “I’m an all-in kind of guy. I don’t want to do just do something, I want to be the best at it. I’m passionate.”
Lt. Hunter Harlan, the lead instructor of the department’s academy, said despite Knutson’s reputation as a tough guy, he is “one of the most humble people” and easy to work with.