By Krystle J Bailey
“Running has been in my family since the beginning of time,” shares 33-year-old Alan Laws Jr. of Pleasantville.
The New Jersey state trooper and creator of the Obey The Laws Experience has spent his life dedicated to the pursuit of greatness. Now, as a father of three and physical training instructor for the NJ State Police, Laws spends his spare time personally training other first responders. He knows firsthand how physical preparedness can help meet the demands of the job and is passionate about helping others achieve their fullest potential.
His lifelong track career led him to the 2019 World Police and Fire Games in China, where he earned global recognition and the honorary title of “The Fastest State Trooper in the United States.”
The journey began at Belmont Plateau out of Philadelphia, where Laws began to train at the age of five. When his father, Alan Laws Sr., discovered his son’s inherent love for physical fitness, he started encouraging him to compete and putting him in positions to win. Every week, Laws would show up to race. With his dad as his coach and mentor, Laws grew in confidence and physical ability, and it wasn’t long before he began to make a name for himself on the track.
He went on to run track on a local and national level and, by the age of 9, was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for his age group. By age 11, Laws was a national champion with his 4 x 800m relay team. As a Pleasantville High School student-athlete, Laws continued to strive to be the best of the best, from the track to his school work. While he was busy achieving All-American status with his relay team and winning races, he maintained straight A’s and graduated from Pleasantville with a cumulative 4.2 GPA.
“There was no track without A’s and B’s,” explains Laws. “My parents worked together. My mom took care of the education, and my dad took care of athletics. There was no compromise. I was a student first and an athlete second.”
That mindset transferred into his college career when Laws went on to run track at Delaware State University, where he was an All-Conference, IC4A track athlete and graduated magna cum laude with four years of academic honors for the Middle Eastern Athletic Conference.
After a series of life and career changes, Laws found his path as a New Jersey State Trooper in 2017. He has since competed in the U.S. Police and Fire Championships and the World Police and Fire Games, bringing home gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles, 400m, 4 x 100m relay, 4 x 400m relay, and silver in the open 400m. He looks forward to competing in the U.S. games again this summer in San Diego, Calif., and the World Police and Fire Games in Winnipeg, Canada.
When asked why he trains as hard as he does, Laws explains that he trains for life. Having been through several setbacks, including accidents and injuries, he attributes his recovery and healing to his physical health and faith.
“Racing, for me, simulates life,” explains Laws. “When running on the track and in the real world, there will always be hurdles. In a race, there’s only one option – over. If you go around or through, you are disqualified. After one hurdle comes another. That’s life too. There will always be an obstacle to overcome, but quitting has never been an option.”
Now, as a father of three, still competing on the track and celebrating his children in their respective sports, he is intentional about balancing the athlete/father/coach responsibilities while maintaining his own training.
“Growing up, my dad was my coach, but he never took Coach Laws into being a dad at home,” explains Laws about his father. “There was a separation point. When we got in the car, he turned it off. It wasn’t something we discussed at the dinner table or before bed. Talking about the track was reserved for the track. I took on those same qualities with my kids.”
When he’s not working, running, or in dad mode, Laws can be found in his home gym, where he trains other first responders for optimum performance. When the world shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic, Laws began to focus his attention on his training business.
Clients who work with Laws have access to custom workout plans, nutrition, support, and accountability. He specializes in speed and agility training, strength and conditioning, weight loss and general fitness, and of course, running.
“Faith is the foundation behind everything that I do,” explains Laws. “I can’t walk out into the battlefield, work, onto the track, or any stage without knowing that God is present with me. God runs through me, speaks through me, and even when I am training clients, I pray about it.
First responders looking to enhance their physical performance and strength can contact Alan Laws Jr at ObeyTheLaws365@gmail.com or by following him on Instagram at @Obey_The_Laws.
Krystle J Bailey. Multimedia journalist, Author, Poet.
Connect with Krystle on Instagram @thedailybailey5
