You can achieve, if you believe

Courtesy Photo | Maj. Moises Figueroa participates in his first full Ironman competition Oct. 17, 2015, in Maryland. IRONMAN Maryland began with a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike and finished with a 26.2-mile run.  

PUERTO RICO

10.17.2015

Story by Maj. Ruth Castro 

1st Mission Support Command

Maintaining a high level of physical fitness in the military is essential. As an Army Reserve Soldier, it takes a bit more commitment and discipline than the one weekend a month for physical training. Hidden within our ranks are Soldiers who go the extra mile to maintain their readiness levels at an ultimate high.

They run 5Ks, half-marathons, marathons, triathlons, etc. in hopes of beating their previous times and setting new personal records. The commitment that these Soldiers hold is amazing. As in their military careers, they have to spend endless hours preparing and training themselves to be the best they can be and the most challenging aspect of it might be preparing mentally.

“This event is physically challenging but it is also mentally challenging,” said Maj. Moises Figueroa, 1st Mission Support Command, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment commander of San Juan, Puerto Rico. “You get to a point where you have completed all the training necessary for an event but being mentally ready is a different thing. No one can teach you or train to do be mentally ready, you have to come to terms with yourself and know that you are ready.”

In his civilian capacity, Figueroa is a financial planner in San Juan. He attributes his ability to overcome the physical and mental challenges of these events to training he has received in the military.

“This event requires a lot of discipline and you have to overcome obstacles during training, and the military has helped me with that,” said Figueroa
Figueroa has completed two half Ironman events and this was his first full Ironman. He expressed how he used to mainly train for running and biking but swimming was not his strong suit. “When I started, I couldn’t swim. In the past two years, I have been practicing. I may not be the fastest swimmer but I can swim relatively effectively. If I can do it, anyone can it. It took me two years, it’s just a matter of being patient and having the will to learn.

As the commander of the HHD, Figueroa realizes that his Soldiers look up to him. He wants to be able to influence his Soldiers to better themselves in all aspects. “I want my Soldiers to know that if they discipline themselves to do something, they can do it. There is nothing that can stop them if they are physically and mentally dedicated to do. It can be done,” he said.

One impactful moment during the event for Figueroa was noticing one specific lady. She was blind but she didn’t let that stop her from competing. “Seeing her really puts things into perspective,” he said. “There are people who may be less physically capable and maybe have some physical limitations but if they train, they can successful complete any event they set their mind to. That teaches you something that you can apply not only within the military but in life as a whole.”

Figueroa completed this Ironman competition in honor of his parents Moises Figueroa-Vega and Amelia Davila who have been in a nursing home since last year. He trains with Triathlon Spot Team led by head coach Rafael Colon.

• Date Taken: 10.17.2015
• Date Posted: 10.26.2015 09:39
• Story ID: 179919
• Location: PR
• Hometown: SAN JUAN, PR