Courtesy Photo | 1st Lt. Sarah Simmler, the commander of 2nd Air Delivery Platoon, 2nd Marine Logistics...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Every year the Marine Corps hand picks select individuals to compete in the Armed Forces Triathlon competition, only choosing the most physically fit the Corps has to offer.
The 2nd Marine Logistics Group’s own 1st Lt. Sarah Simmler, the commander of Air Delivery Platoon, 2nd MLG, is one of 16 Marines selected to participate in this event at Point Mugu, Calif., June 23.
Simmler has been an athlete for the majority of her life. She was a standout in softball, cross country and basketball, which she was recruited to play by the United States Naval Academy.
Simmler’s selection has come well earned. As a junior at the academy she joined the triathlon team and won NCAA Division I Collegiate Nationals, and was named captain her second year on the team.
As soon as Simmler left the academy, her superiors began recruiting her to participate in the triathlon.
“[Lt. Col. Gregory Price] started contacting me after I arrived here [in 2011] to participate in the triathlon, but I was unable to,” Simmler said. ”This year [Capt. Justine Whipple] got a hold of me and I told her I was interested.”
From there the selection process began. Due to the size of the Marine Corps, it is much harder to try out for a team, so when the Marine Administrative Message was released soliciting applicants, Simmler submitted her application with her prior races and times.
Simmler noted that all races included in an application are up to the participant to enter on their own behalf. The most recent times are used to determine a Marine’s potential level of competitiveness at the triathlon.
Her training is up to par with the best in the Corps, though she admits she has worked at the gym a little more than usual to get ready for a different contest.
“I’ve been training for a physique competition, so I’ve been lifting a lot more,” she explained. “I try my best to mix in things to stay in shape. At the academy we would train for three hours doing track workouts, swimming, biking, sprints or longs runs, but that type of workout isn’t feasible right now.”
Feasible or not, Simmler has maintained her fitness and continues to push herself for the upcoming triathlon, which the Air Force has won the past two years.
“Any opportunity I get to represent the Marine Corps I want to do, because it’s motivating to compete against the other services,” she said.
Simmler also expressed the importance for women to try new things and go against the grain to try something like a triathlon.
“Don’t set limits for yourself before you even try them,” she said. “As a female, don’t be afraid to try pull-ups, it’s a great exercise and it will give you the confidence to propel you to try other things. The triathlon is a prime example of that. People say they could never do it; well I don’t know how many people I’ve told to give it a try and they find out how much they love it.
“The second that you show yourself that you’re capable of something you didn’t think you were you unlock the door and the possibilities are endless.”
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2012 16:48 |
| Story ID: | 89925 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 436 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 2nd Marine Logistics Group Marine looks to take Armed Forces Triathlon, by PFC Franklin Mercado, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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