As a freshman in high school, I was introduced to both Weightlifting and Gymnastics. I was the only student in HS who could do an iron cross in the pike position on the rings in gymnastics and broke the state record for bench-press with a 245 lb. bench at 123-pound body weight.  I also set 9 HS weightlifting and exercise school records.  So, fitness became my passion at an early age.  In High School, I was swimming laps for Gym class.  My teacher looked down at me and said, " Roger, you swim like you swim in mud!"  So, I was not that great at swimming as a kid.
 
My father passed away from a car accident the day after my 13th birthday. I was told by my elders that I was now the man of the house at age 13 I had three younger brothers and older sister, who is handicapped in wheelchair. I had more responsibility at a young age than most kids will ever have to endure. I feel this is where my mental toughness started to develop. When I was 18 years old, my brother's best friend came to the house with a handful of paperwork. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was going to join the Navy. I told him he was nuts and an crazy, don't do it.  He asked me to come down to the recruiting office to hang out and I said sure. One week later we were both in Navy Boot Camp, he got kicked out for a nervous breakdown three days into it and I ended up stationed in Roosevelt Rd., Puerto Rico.
   
I joined the Navy to serve my country as all my relatives before me.  In my off time I ran and worked out every day, 7 days a week.  One day at the gym, I was feeling very energized and jumped up on the pull-up bar and did 70 strict pull-ups in the pike position, legs straight out.  So, I had all of this physical ability, but did not know at the time how to channel it.

Then one day when I was in the gym, I saw this athletic looking guy with a t-shirt with a skydiver, a diver, and a shooter on the shirt. So, I asked him," what is all that on your shirt"?  He said to me, "I am a Navy SEAL".  I replied," Good for you, what the heck is that?"  He proceeded to explain what it was that he did for the military.  I looked him in the eyes and said, "I am going to be a Navy SEAL, what do I have to do?'

He proceeded to explain to me what I needed to do to become a SEAL.  My only concern was the swimming part. So, I asked him if he would show me the Combat Side Stroke because swimming was my weak spot.  Thankfully he agreed.  

Shortly thereafter I took my qualifying fitness test called a PST.  I did great on the Push-ups, Sit-ups, Pull-ups and run, but now came the swim.  I did the 1500-yard Combat side Stroke swim in the ocean in Puerto Rico.  The Master Chief SEAL to me to be careful because it was Hammerhead breeding season and to be very careful.  I tell you what, that sure didn't help matters.  so, I did not swim for the test... I swam for my life!  The entire time I was swimming I was looking down in the deep blue water for sharks.  I found out much later that this was a form of SEAL humor.  I ultimately passed the PST and received orders to BUD/S.  Prior to shipping to Coronado CA to BUD/S, fellow sailors tried to deter me from going by making statements like, "you will not make it, only 1% make it." or "you have to raise a puppy and the kill it".  My thought on this was, who are they to tell me what I can or cannot do?
 
So off to SEAL training I want.  I found out in the first 3-4 weeks that drive and mental toughness was one of the most important aspects needed to make it through BUD/S.
The week before Hell-week, were you stayed awake for an entire week, I tore my Achilles tendon.  The doctor said it was the worst tare he had ever seen.  The training officer told me I was done. he said that the doctor formed him that I would not be able to walk for 12 weeks or run for another 12 weeks past that. So, I would not be able to run for 24 weeks. I bagged the training officer to keep me in training.  I told him, "I did not come here to quit or get dropped".  I said," cut my leg off, I will run on a stump, I am not done I WILL NOT QUIT."  He paused, shook his head, and said," Get the hell out of my office, if I see you in here again you are done".  I saluted the Commander, turned, and hopped out his door.  I made it through Hell-week with a torn right Achilles tendon.  This is where a high level of Mental Toughness came in to play.  On almost every day in SEAL training Mental Toughness is needed, from freezing cold water to hours of exercise.  With my mental toughness I walked everywhere with an 8 man rubber boat (IBS) on our heads.  To make it through Hell week, with the most excruciating pain in my right lower leg, I had to mentally focus on placing 1 foot in front of the other for the entire week.  I was conditioned to realize that to be a Navy seal you must isolate pain and fear from your body and mind I graduated SEAL training February 1980 and was attached to UDT-11, underwater demolition team.  So, I stayed 24 years in the SEAL Teams.  I would not have traded it for all the money in the world.  The experiences and the brotherly bonds we created can never be equaled by anything in life.  HOOYA to the Brotherhood.

After my 24-year military career I was blessed to be one of 30 former SEALs in the USA to be Mentors for the Navy Warrior Challenge Contract.  This position lasted for almost 19 years.  This was the second greatest job I could ever imagine. We work with Navy recruiters, and we physically and mentally trained individuals wanting to get into the Navy seals, SWCC, EOD, diver, and air rescue swimmer programs. We taught mental toughness, running techniques, swimming techniques, and exercise techniques and workout programs. I always told my hundreds of students that when I was training them. I would always give them my full attention. There's nothing more I love than teaching fitness and mental toughness for any line of work, military, or civilian lifestyles and jobs. 

If you are part of the SEALFiit4Life.com members program, you can ask me questions, seven days a week via email, text, or zoom. If you live in the area, I can meet you in person.  I have over 40 years of experience, teaching, strength training, running techniques, swimming techniques and mental toughness training.
 
Here are a few quick example of how well my program works.
 
(1)   When I was in the SEAL teams, I made a bet with my SEAL platoon that I would be able to bench 300 pounds at the end of the six month deployment with zero weightlifting, I weighed 150 pounds at the time. At the end of six months, I laid down on the bench and did three repetitions of 300 pounds with zero weightlifting for six months.  I wanted to show my teammates that you could get the same or better results with no weightlifting at all.

(2)   I have had several individuals who were in the high 20s for pull-ups and within two weeks I was able to have them achieve 1 or 2, one-arm pull-ups, with one hand, pulling them up, and other hand down at their side. 

(3)   I had 2 students wanting to lose weight to qualify to join the Navy.  I gave them a swim program and they swam every day with a mask and snorkel. Then, they did not have to focus on breathing or technique, just weight loss from this full body, simple cardio program.  One student lost 30lbs and the other lost 35lbs in 6 weeks.  

I doesn't matter if you are 16 or 65, I will show you how to maximize your time and effort to achieve your goals.