That’s what the team at Temeraire want to know as they launch a drive to raise the profile and numbers of Royal Navy Leading Physical Trainers (PT), the men and women who keep the Fleet fit and healthy.
Bosses at the Royal Navy School of Physical Training are looking for the next hopefuls for a two-day aptitude assessment in Portsmouth to see if the volunteers possess the ‘right stuff’ to proceed to the full training course.
The school runs three such assessments every year, with 11 potential PT’s – ranging from submariners to Royal Marines – lining up at 7.25am on February 6 for the first of this year’s tests.
After a Number 1 Uniform inspection, the prospective club swingers had to introduce themselves with short biographies – allowing PT staff instructors to learn more about the individuals, why they want to transfer and what they can bring to the PT specialisation.
That’s the curtain raiser to a string of academic and physical activities – a 2.4K run assessment which gave PT staff the chance to gauge a candidate’s current fitness levels and give an indication as to whether they had prepared adequately for the course or not.
The day’s activities carried on until the evening, closing with a demanding squad run in and around the seafront.
Day Two put brains as well as brawn to the test with candidates expected to present a briefing to their assessors on issues affecting today’s Royal Navy and fitness.
Throughout the second day there were numerous opportunities for the PT Staff to assess the individual’s current knowledge, fitness levels and their aptitude to learn, ultimately leading to a decision on whether candidates were suitable for transferring to the physical training world.
Successful applicants then move on to the demanding 26-week Leading Physical Trainers Qualifying Course at Temeraire – providing their original branch will release them – of which there’s only one per year.
The six-month course covers a wide variety of academic and practical subjects. Students learn instructional techniques and the practicalities of instructing formal PT classes.
In addition, qualifiers learn about different methods and modalities of fitness, diet and nutrition, circuit and weight training theory, weight management, advanced anatomy and physiology (with instruction provided by experts from the Institute of Naval Medicine), sports injuries, fitness testing and sports administration.
The course also covers basic coaching and officiating in a number of sports as well as practical adventurous training delivery at the Naval Outdoor Centre Germany (NOCG) and in the UK. These activities include sailing, rock climbing, abseiling, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, mountain biking.
Anyone interested in attending a PT aptitude assessment should first make their Divisional Officer aware, then make contact with their Unit PT Staff.
