Leave your tights, weightlifting shoes and iPods at the door. In this camp, your name doesn’t go on the whiteboard. It goes on your plain white T-shirt.
This is SEALFIT’s Kokoro Camp.
“The idea is to just get them completely out of their comfort zone,” says SEALFIT founder Mark Divine.
On the line to accept that challenge are CrossFitters including Mikko Salo, Kristan Clever, Rob Orlando, Tommy Hackenbruck, Caity Henniger, Jimi Letchford and original firebreather Greg Amundson.
“We don’t just try to hurt these people physically; we teach them,” Divine says. “We teach them how to be mentally tough, teach them how to be leaders, how to be good team players, and we try through a crucible experience to elicit their warrior spirit.”
In Part 2, training takes the athletes to the beach for some full-body submersions, push-ups into the oncoming surf, partner drags and carries, and plenty of running. Can the crew make it through Day 1?
“Right now, all I’m thinking is that this is the warm-up and it hasn’t even gotten hard yet. That’s all I’m telling myself. It’s going to get worse,” Hackenbruck says.
