A Firefighter’s Path to Healing: Chris Chance and the Saddle & Sea Mission

Christopher Chance, a Palm Beach County firefighter-paramedic and trained farrier, shares the story behind Saddle & Sea Foundation, a program designed to help first responders reconnect, recover, and rebuild after trauma. Drawing on more than 16 years of emergency service—from lifeguarding in Hawaii to frontline firefighting in Florida—Chance combines equine-assisted learning and ocean-based “blue mind” experiences to create a space where first responders can step away from the job and focus on their own well-being. The conversation explores the psychological toll of service work, the reluctance many responders have to ask for help, and how nature—horses, water, and shared challenge—can open the door to resilience and honest conversation.