Landing a spot on the reality television show Outback Jack was never in Aussie Vadim Dale's life plan.
But several of Dale's buddies wanted the finder's fee for drinking money, so they nominated their friend for the lead spot on the 2004 show that transplanted 12 women from their high-maintenance city-girl lifestyles into the Australian Outback to vie for Dale's heart.
It was Kentucky girl Natalie Franzman who won it - which led Dale on a journey from living on a farm in his homeland to Louisville, where he is now going through recruit training for the Louisville Metro Police Department.
"I definitely wouldn't change a thing," said Dale, who now has three daughters with Natalie. "I love it here. The only thing Louisville's missing is a beachfront."
Though his grandfather had been a police officer in Italy, Dale said he never had dreams of becoming a police officer -- and certainly not in America.
But after he and his wife settled in Louisville about five years ago, Dale was looking for a way to have some animals in his life so he settled on a pair of German shepherds that he trained to become cadaver dogs for search and rescue operations.
Dale said as he began working with his dogs on crime scenes and getting to know several police officers, his interest in joining the department grew. He was involved in a search during the disappearance of 4-year-old Cesar Ivan Aguilar- Cano, who was later found dead in a garbage truck in July 2007. Dale's testimony has been a matter of dispute in the case pending against Cecil Eugene New II, who is facing trial for the little boy's murder.
In November, Dale joined 23 other people hoping to become Louisville police officers. On June 18, 20 of them will graduate and join the patrol ranks of the department.
As they prepare to graduate, the recruits are being run through various exercises aimed at getting them ready for life on patrol. This week, they spent time at Trackside going through the satellite betting site practicing their searches, hoping to find the instructors hiding in corners or under tables before the instructors found them.
Dale led a team of four other recruits into the building, plastic gun drawn as they searched dark corners and under tables.
It's just one of many exercises that Dale said has stretched him as a person and tested his endurance.
"It's tough," Dale said, especially going home to juggle family time after a grueling day at the academy. His youngest daughter, Chloe, was born in March while classes were in session. His two older daughters are Hunter, 3, and Eden, 1.
Lt. Kevin DeSpain, who oversees the academy, said Dale is a natural leader who has helped pull this class together. Though he is not an officer of the class, he was selected to carry the class flag at graduation, a high honor.
The instructors "found very early that he embodies this class," DeSpain said. "He works very hard, not only for himself. He builds his classmates' confidence."
Dale said his stint as "Outback Jack" has definitely made him an easy target for teasing and jokes.
"They all give it to me," he said. "Once I'm not a recruit anymore, I'll be able to give it back."