For the 22 recruits left standing, their work up to this point was put to the test.
Here’s a look inside week five.
As the sun rises over the Franklin Mountains, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the cadets who have made it through the first 5 weeks of the El Paso Police Academy as they face their first major physical fitness exam.
The purpose is to identify the deficiencies, or the strengths, weaknesses as far as the PT test,” Sergeant Jeremy Ontiveros said. “If they’re slacking on the daily PT, if they’re not doing their daily PT right, if they’re not doing their pushups right, what happens is, it’ll show here. This is kind of an eye opener for those who know they need to do a little bit more.
The first test of the day is a mile run in less than 10 minutes and 40 seconds.
Recruits Alberto Saenz and Miguel Martinez were two of the fastest.
“When I was running, I didn’t think about the result, I just thought of the moment, of the right then and there, and I just kept pushing,” Saenz said.
“It’s funny because when he was out there, he finished his mile and he finished his sprint, I looked at the Sergeant and said, 'We might have a little sleeper, a little PT stud that’s a sleeper',” EPPD Academy Instructor Officer Joe Lopez said.
Recruit Christopher Shingles, on the other hand, isn't the fastest distance runner.
“I kind of had to encourage him on the run a little bit,” Lopez said.
But with each step he took, he reminded himself who he was doing this for.
“My daughter, and to also let these guys know that a 48-year-old may not be, in the distance wise not as fast as them, but in certain aspects of the PT test, I can still give them a run for their money,” Shingles said.
Shingles putting his money, where his mouth is.
“The sprint, he blew me away in the sprint, he had a lot of power, a lot of speed, and he had one of the fastest times.” EPPD Academy Instructor Officer Stephanie Han said.
The recruits also knock out push-ups, sit-ups, bend and twist exercises and a grip test.
“The bend and twists, when they told me that, I was like, there’s no way I’m going to be able to do that, I mean, it’s an awkward exercise,” EPPD Cadet Francisco Chavez said.
The recruits were allowed to fail one component of the physical exam.
“There was four girls who failed the grip test and that was the only thing, but besides that, all of the other scores and everything else, they did well,” Han said.
The women of the group stuck together, motivating one another to hold their own.
56-year-old Patricia Soto continues to rise above expectations, emerging as a leader for the younger recruits.
She’s proved to us time and time again that her age is not going to hold her back,” EPPD Cadet Celine Galaviz said. “She pushes me to be my version and more than that.
While the physical fitness exam is hard enough, some recruits are dealing with injuries.
“The other day I pulled both of my calves, so I’m feeling it right now in my calf, but other than that, you got to work through it,” EPPD Cadet Nathaniel Guevara said. “I was worried I was going to pull it even worse or maybe even tear it, but I’ll continue to go, I wouldn’t let that stop me.”
Galaviz is dealing with an injury she sustained before the academy started.
“I fractured my ankle, and I sprained my wrist. I try not to make it obvious; I try to just push through the pain,” Galaviz said.
The recruits' willpower and hard work pay off.
“I PT with them every day and based on performance and scores, they all passed,” Han said.
While there may be some relief, the next challenge is already waiting in the classroom.
Right now, they have a written comprehensive, so they need to compose themselves, they need to get ready,” Ontiveros said. “Academics is a big portion of the program itself.
The second part of the quarterly exam will put the recruit’s knowledge to the test, as it is their biggest exam yet.
Who passes and fails this ultimate challenge?
Next week on Becoming the Badge, the journey ahead continues.
You can watch our weekly segments every Wednesday on the KFOX14 Morning News and Sunday nights on KFOX14 News at Nine. Missed last week's segment? You can watch it online using this link.
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