COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Being fit to fight is not only a requirement for Airmen, but is also an important part of maintaining a healthy body.
Some Airmen at Columbus Air Force Base like to take their fitness to the next level.
A select few of Team BLAZE recently competed at various bodybuilding competitions in different categories. Among the competitors were Senior Airman Zachary Sellers, 49th Fighter Training Squadron Aviation Resource Manager; Airman 1st Class Jacobi Kelly, 14th Civil Engineer Squadron Firefighter; and Ronnie Shumpert, Aircraft Maintenance.
They all competed in different categories and brackets of competitions across the United States, each placing in the upper-middle of the pack.
For some of them, this marks their first foray into body competitions.
“I just recently competed in my first show, but for me, lifting is much more than competing in shows,” Kelly said. “It’s an everyday challenge, something you have to constantly work at. Your vision and your goals will be different than others and it gives you something to look forward to.”
Others are veterans, having done this for many years.
“I’ve been lifting for about eight years now,” Sellers said. “I played a lot of sports when I was young and I started lifting for football in high school and haven’t stopped since.”
The Air Force physical training program encourages total fitness, rather than just training for the specific portions of the test.
“When I joined the Air Force, lifting definitely helped with the PT test,” Sellers said. “During competition season, I would work on cardio in the mornings and lift in the afternoon. Things like diet and meal portioning are part of competitive lifting and helps maintain all aspects of my fitness.”
Besides its physical health benefits, working out has the benefit of increased focus, a better state of mind and a higher degree of readiness.
“Lifting makes me a better person both in the body and mind,” Sellers said. “Not only do I feel bigger in body size and strength, it also helps quiet my mind. It’s a great stress reliever.”
After years of working out, Sellers said his goals changed from not only helping himself, but into also giving back and helping others reach their goals.
“First and foremost I do this for my health,” Sellers said. “Now, after competing, it has turned more into asking myself, ‘How can I help others?’ People ask about my diet plan and workout routine and I can show them what I do and have them try to implement it in their lives. It’s really empowering.”
Columbus AFB’s Fitness Center provides for Airmen in all levels of training, from beginners to those who are further along in their fitness goals.
“I don’t see the need to train anywhere else really,” Sellers said. “This is my home gym. There are a lot of people here I enjoy working out with and seeing on a day-to-day basis. The gym here has everything I need to succeed and is very conveniently located.”
To better provide for its Airmen, the fitness center is slated for a $922,000 expansion project, starting in fiscal 2017.
“It’s all about the mindset; lifting lets me shut out everything else that I’m dealing with and focus on me,” Kelly said. “Having a solid group of people to train with makes me proud to call Columbus my home gym.”