For Capt. Astrid Rivas, physical fitness has always been an important part of her life. She grew up in Bowie, Maryland with three brothers and an active mother and said fitness was their bonding time.
“That was our time to enjoy being with one another,” Rivas said. “To this day, one of the first things we do when we’re home is hit the gym together.”
Rivas commissioned as a logistics officer in summer of 2011. As a Marine Corps officer, she says staying physically fit is her responsibility, and officers are expected to be the living model for their Marines to emulate.
This summer, Rivas will be representing Parris Island at the National High Intensity Tactical Training (HITT) Competition in Quantico, Virginia.
Her training regimen is a myriad of functional fitness workouts and weight lifting five to six times per week.
“Staying fit has just become a lifestyle; more than anything it makes me feel great. Through fitness and other physical activities, I have met some amazing people that I now consider lifelong friends.
Rivas said she’s always excited to mix up her fitness routine, but gets the most enjoyment out of functional fitness and weight lifting.
(U.S. Marine Corps story by Sgt. Dana Beesley)