Brett Sobieraski2025 Citizen of the Year

Brett Sobieraski grew up in Lockport, N.Y. and always wanted to be a police officer just like his father John. Brett was hired by the Lockport Police Department when he was 21 years old and worked there for four years, before transferring to the Rochester Police Department. At RPD, he worked primarily in narcotics and on the SWAT Team during his career, as well as being an instructor at the Police Academy. He retired as a sergeant after 32 years of service. Brett also served on the Board of Directors at Huther Doyle for over 20 years, helping individuals and families with addiction issues. In the early 2000s, Brett vowed to start living a healthier lifestyle. This eventually led him to ultra-distance events, and he used his grit and determination to finish extreme challenges, including swimming nonstop across Lake Ontario, running 175 miles along the Erie Canal, running 50 hours straight for various charities, and completing the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, California, which is recognized as the most demanding and toughest road race on the planet. In 2023, Brett completed “8 States for Maz” running 1310 miles through eight states over 50 days to honor fallen RPD Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz, who was killed in the line of duty. Brett wrote a book about that journey called 8 States for Maz- The Humanity Tour, where he describes all the acts of kindness he witnessed from friends and strangers. People who gave him the last dollars out of their pocket for a family and a hero they’d never meet. It’s a beautiful story about America and about the kindness of Americans. Brett has raised over $300,000 for charities such as Special Olympics New York, Veterans Outreach Center and the Mazurkiewicz family. Brett also wrote his memoir Gray Man- An Average Man’s Journey to Personal Greatness that provides a glimpse into what is possible when you set the conditions, put in the time and believe you can train yourself to achieve just about anything. For his outstan