Sergeant Eduardo Caballero: Full-time Marine driven to fitness

CA, UNITED STATES

01.19.2023

Story by Sgt. Emely Gonzalez 

12th Marine Corps District

Every Marine has a story of why they joined the Marine Corps. For one particular Marine, their journey began when they were a child, quiet and introverted, but with aspirations to do something bigger with his life. Sergeant Eduardo Caballero, a native of Oxnard, California, found a passion for sports when he entered high school.

“During my high school years, I was very driven about playing basketball and hanging out with my friends.”

Setting big goals for himself early on propelled Caballero to strive for an even bigger challenge, earning the title of United States Marine. He wanted to do something different than what everyone else was doing, to challenge himself and to make his family proud. For Caballero, family has played an important role in his decision of joining the Corps.

“My parents truly inspire me to continue moving forward through all adversity and tribulations,” he said. “They migrated here from Mexico to show their kids a better life and for that, I will forever be grateful and fortunate; it is my duty to give back to them and show them that it was worth it.”

Often times, Marines’ schedules are unpredictable and Caballero works 10 to 12 hours a day. He explained that working long days has it challenges which also means sacrificing time spent with friends, family, and even sleeping to have time for these passions. One of those passions that he sacrifices for is competitive body building. Caballero has been a bodybuilder for four years and incorporates skills that he has learned in the Marine Corps into the sport.

“Being a body builder also takes sacrifice from social setting, sleep and screen time,” Caballero said. “However, this helps prioritize what is important and aids in accomplishing the mission.”

The Marine Corps has instilled a growth mindset into Caballero and has taught him how to finish the job. Caballero credits the Marine Corps for helping prioritize what is important and executing each task in a timely manner to accomplish the mission at hand.

One of Caballero’s most recent goals is to finish his bachelor’s degree in exercise science by the end of 2023 to allow him to become a licensed physical therapist. Caballero’s go-to quote is “get comfortable being very uncomfortable”. He reminds himself of this every morning to help him get a start to the day and to get another step closer to reaching his next goal.

• Date Taken: 01.19.2023
• Date Posted: 01.20.2023 20:47
• Story ID: 437014
• Location: CA, US