Photo By Senior Airman Mae Frazier | Staff Sgt. Jean-Paul Williams, 168th Force Support Squadron services craftsman,...... read more read more
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- One of the many requirements to serve in the United States military is meeting physical fitness standards. One interior Alaska Guardsman is exceeding standards as he not only meets his fitness goals, but leads others to success as a fitness coach and aims high as an award-winning fitness competitor.
Staff Sgt. Jean-Paul Williams, 168th Force Support Flight services craftsman, balances his guard duties with being a personal trainer at a gym in Olympia, Washington. Along with training others, he also focuses on his goals as a fitness competitor.
“Fitness has always been important to me, but there came a time where I needed more than just the satisfaction of passing my PT test,” Williams said.
Faced with disciplinary action and the possibility of getting kicked out of the guard, Williams made the decision to take his fitness to the next level.
“That’s what kick-started my motivation to compete,” Williams said.
Williams has participated in nine fitness competitions, qualifying for nationals eight times. In order to qualify for nationals, competitors must place top five in their class. Williams most recently competed in the Washington Iron Man competition in October 2016, placing first in Class D men’s physique.
“My personal goals encompass powerlifting principles, athletic training, bodybuilding and a little bit of cross fit,” Williams said. “Being a self-coached competitor, I also have to be very meticulous with what I put into my body. Working through the fatigue has helped me learn how to be resilient.”
One of the most important aspects of training for a fitness competition is focusing on nutrition, Williams said. Eating healthy is about 85 to 95 percent of what leads to the best results. Being able to focus on multiple aspects to reach a goal can help reduce stress and the ability to multi-task.
Williams is now training for a competition later this year. If he places first or second at nationals, he will be awarded the title of pro competitor.
“I’ve witnessed him evolve tremendously,” said Master Sgt. Claudia Cen, 168th FSF services noncommissioned officer in charge, who has been a mentor for Williams throughout his career. “He has grown and matured. I see that as he learns to apply discipline in his routine, he has also applied it in his job.”
Discipline is just as important as working hard, Cen said. The more that he used fitness as an outlet and continued to educate himself, the easier it was to overcome challenges he was faced with, she said.
One of Williams’ duties in the guard is tracking and facilitating fitness testing. He works with a team that communicates with each unit fitness program manager to ensure Airmen are current with their physical training tests, and often works full-time to support the active-duty services team during busier training months. As a noncommissioned officer, he is also responsible for mentoring Airmen and acts as an advocate for anyone seeking fitness advice.
“I understand that I can’t hold everyone to the same standard I hold myself to,” Williams said. “As long as everyone is living a healthy lifestyle and passing their fitness assessments, that benefits the wing as a whole. When people pass their PT tests, they tend to be happier and can focus on the mission.”
Williams has trained about 20 to 30 people during the six years he has served in the guard and is currently training 10 individuals in his civilian job. His clients range from high school students involved in sports to those going through rehabilitation training, military members, and people interested in losing weight.
“Being a part of the 168th has been a great experience and I’ve definitely learned a lot along the way,” Williams said. “Even though I use my personal passion for fitness as an outlet, all of the hard work I’ve put into myself shows in my work ethic. It has made me a better Airman. Whatever you set your mind to, if you do it wholeheartedly, you’re going to get an end result that will make you happy.”
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2017 20:50 |
| Story ID: | 228920 |
| Location: | FAIRBANKS , ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,706 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Why this Alaska Airman fights for fitness, by SrA Mae Frazier, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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