Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Louis Rojas | HOUSTON, TX. (December 14, 2022) Future U.S. Navy Sailor Gary Smith III, a native of...... read more read more
Future Sailor Gary Smith III, a Houston, Tx. native had always dreamed of joining the Navy. Before he could conquer his ultimate goal, he faced a daunting challenge: shedding an impressive one hundred and twenty pounds.
Smith has a long line of military members in his family. His father served in the U.S. Navy in the early 90’s, and his grandfather served in the armed forces as well. Wanting to follow in his family’s footsteps he decided to do whatever it took.
He knew early on that the Navy could provide him with the opportunity to serve his country, while gaining an education in electronics.
He was determined to achieve his dream and threw himself into a daily routine of exercise, healthy eating, and keeping active. But despite all his hard work and commitment, his first attempt to join the Navy fell short.
His body weight percentage was still too high, and it left him feeling crushed. However, he didn't let this setback stop him in his tracks.
To help him overcome this obstacle Smith sought out advice from his biggest influence in his life, his mother.
“My mother always asked me to ask questions,” said Smith. “Weather on how to increase my physical fitness or creating system to learn a subject, she always told me to ask questions,” said Smith.
He experimented with different weightlifting techniques and tools, but it wasn't until he discovered the power of combining strength training with cardio that he finally started seeing some real results.
“I used my body as the workout tool. I did the navy standard: push-ups, planks, one half mile plus run and more, all body work outs,” said Smith.
Whenever he hit a roadblock or felt like he wasn't making any headway, he mixed things up by trying out new exercises, working with a personal trainer, or even picking up jujitsu to keep himself pumped up and motivated.
Day after day he would do these work outs losing ounce after ounce.
Not content with just staying physically fit, he also explored into the world of programming languages, honed his math skills, and even crafted his own applications to better comprehend how the systems of the world operate and to add more depth and meaning to his life.
After eighteen months of hard work and perseverance, he finally achieved his dream of becoming a Sailor and stepping into a world of exciting opportunities.
“I kept pushing. Kept losing and about twenty pounds later I final got in,” said Smith.
Future Sailor Smith ships out to boot camp soon and is excited to start his Navy career as Nuclear Electrician Mate.
“I am grateful to God for his strength and determination, and I knew that without it, I would not be where I am today,” said Smith.
NTAG Houston has 34 Navy recruiting stations covering more than 44,000 square miles in rural and metropolitan areas around Southeastern Texas and Western Louisiana. NTAG Houston employs more than 250 recruiters, support personnel and civilians.
Follow NTAG Houston on Facebook
(https://www.facebook.com/NTAGhouston) and Instagram (@NTAG_Houston).
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, and 26 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil.
Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MyNAVYHR), Twitter
(@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.23.2023 19:38 |
| Story ID: | 439076 |
| Location: | HOUSTON, TX, US |
| Hometown: | HOUSTON, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 363 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, From Overweight to Overcoming: A Journey to Join the Navy, by PO1 Louis Rojas, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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