Mentor Bios

Tacticalmedic13

In this discussion board you will find short bios of the mentors available within the program. These bios describe the physical fitness challenges and goals of the various mentors. Each mentor can provide guidance to a limited number of participants. Feel free to review the listing of mentors and message the mentor you would like to work with to see if they have space available to work with you.

Tacticalmedic13

I have faced some challenges in life maintaining my physical fitness due to some injuries. I injured by back in 2000 training in Alaska at Northern Warfare School. This injury eventually led me to be kicked out of the Army ROTC Program. I went on to complete three and a half years of physical therapy before I was able to enlist into the National Guard. The long standing impact of this injury is limited lung capacity that makes running very difficult for me.
When I deployed to Iraq, I found myself in an extremely stressful working conditions working long hours with little time for PT. Although I had tried the P90X system before deployment, my physical fitness rapidly deteriorated. With all you can eat mess halls and shakes always available to cool yourself down from the desert heat, I quickly found myself 25 pound heavier.
Upon returning from Iraq, I started working as an ROTC Instructor. Although I participated in PT I still struggled to hit the minimal required scores on my PT Test.
In the summer of 2012, I was introduced to the myfitnesspal program and seriously set out to improve my fitness. This was the first time that I really focused on improving both physical fitness training and my diet. Over the course of three months, I was able to return to my pre-deployment weight and was able to meet the minimum PT requirements again.
In 2011 and 2013, I participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March. This is a 26.2 mile road march with a 35 pound load. This was a challenge that I originally wanted to take on back when I was in ROTC but never have the chance. I remember the day after I completing it in 2011 I woke up so soar I swore that I would never do it again. But the day after, I work up thinking that I could complete it faster. For me, it was the beautiful moment in my life that PT no longer because a chore but a real challenge. The better and strong I became the more I wanted to improve and more importantly the more I enjoyed the journey.
My future goal is to continue to compete in marathon length road marches. While my primary task is to oversee the “Be Fit” Program, I am willing to personally mentor any one that is willing to take on these types of challenges.
Remember, train hard fight easy.