Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge coming to Seattle area
Friday, July 31, 2009
Delayed Entry Program recruits participate in a SEAL Fitness Challenge during Oklahoma City Fleet Week 2009. (U.S. Navy photo)
Test your fitness level against your peers and elite Navy SEAL standards at the upcoming SEAL Fitness Challenge in Bellevue, Aug. 8.
Don't worry if you're not special forces material, said Senior Chief Jason Torey, a Sequim native and SEAL who is helping promote the event and motivate participants.
"This challenge isn't about 'Hey, come out and see if you're better than us,'" he said. "It's about having fun.
"We try and introduce people to the physical fitness lifestyle that we have as Navy SEALs."
Anyone can participate, including kids ages 13 and up with parents' permission. Advance registration is recommended at www.sealfitnesschallenge.com. Walk-up registration may be available, but if you register online you can pick your time slot.
As of Monday, more than 500 people were already registered, including 80 women.
The free event will be held Aug. 8 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bellevue Hilton parking lot, 300 112th Ave SE (see Google map).
The challenge is the same prospective SEALs — like Torey in 1992 — face before they can enter BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training: a 500 yard swim, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and a 1.5-mile run.
T-shirts will be awarded for meeting different levels of standards and medals handed out for the best performance in each age group.
With only a week left, there isn't much time to train for the event in Seattle. But Torey said workouts are available online that can help anyone get in better shape before or after the challenge.
There's also a SEAL Challenge participants Facebook group, which might help you get motivated.