The task of finding future Marines to join our Corps is a responsibility that requires dedication and grit. The duty can be demanding and time-consuming and affects not only individual recruiters, but their families as well.
One Ardmore family has found a unique way to cope with the pressures associated with the recruiting billet.
Staff Sgt. Timothy J. Hucal, a recruiter with Marine Corps Recruiting Station Fort Worth, moved his family to Ardmore, Oklahoma in 2016 and began his transition from his original Military Occupational Specialty of military police officer to recruiter.
As the family began adjusting to their new life, Hucal and his wife Cody began looking for ways to keep their two older children, Ryleigh and Trevor occupied. They found a Ninja camp that was being held at the ninja gym in town, Gauntlet Fitness (owned by previous American Ninja Warrior competitors Ashley and Shawn Mason).
One day as Cody was watching the NBC show, “American Ninja Warrior”, Trevor stated “This is something that Dad could do because he is a Marine and a ninja (Martial Arts Instructor)” At that point Cody decided to attend the adult ninja course that was being held at Gauntlet Fitness.
Cody continued her training with the gym’s strength and endurance program and through a trial and error process figured out that she and her family truly had the talent to become competitors within the realm.
After approximately 6 months of training she and her family registered to join the Ultimate Ninja Athletes Association and competed in a local competition where they all qualified for the 2017 regional level. After competing in the regional competition in Houston, Cody qualified for the national competition held in Dallas.
Cody ranked among the top 25 in her age group to move on to the finals competition. Upon completion of the league competition, she and her family continued to train with her coach and later began training children at the gym.
Encouraged by her coach, friends and family, Cody submitted a video for the 2018 NBC show “American Ninja Warrior” and received her phone call of acceptance. She will be competing in Dallas at the qualifier rounds of the show on March 25th and 26th.
“This duty started off very hard and rocky due to being in an unfamiliar area as well as a new MOS,” said Hucal. “The ninja competitions, strength training, and gym life has opened so many community doors. The community has become like a second home and we have built some very meaningful relationships that will last forever long after this duty station and duty.”
Cody, Ryleigh, Trevor and Karli Rae, their youngest daughter, continue to train at Gauntlet Fitness and spend a minimum of three days a week training at the gym with their coaches and other athletes. They have been using the gym and the ninja platform to not only open the doors of opportunity but to pass the time while stationed in Ardmore.
In order to continue their training when the gym is closed, Hucal and his family designed and built a training course in their yard.
“This journey of what my wife and children have looked to has opened so many doors of opportunity and has allowed this duty to become a little less stressful,” said Hucal. “It allows me to have a peace of mind knowing that they are occupied and that they are being able to stick to this and continue to get better and overall become stronger mentally and physically.”
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.16.2018 12:15 |
| Story ID: | 269671 |
| Location: | ARDMORE, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ninja Warrior Family, by Sgt Danielle Rodrigues, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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