“We never let you see us sweat.”

In our ranks at Survivor of the Fittest, we have law enforcement and veterans who understand that many of our first responders and military service members subscribe to the “embrace the suck” philosophy. That philosophy is what gets you through the day, onto the next, and pushes you up and through those calls, tours, and battles where you suddenly find yourself fighting for your life and those around you - even when that fight is all about trauma from what you’ve experienced. Because when you’re someone who carries the burdens of entire communities and countries on your shoulders each day and you see the reality of the evil and pain that exists, “whining” gets in the way of the mission.

Taking the “Drama” out of “Trauma.”

Through our Survivor Battle-Tested program we believe in taking the “drama out of trauma” and normalizing what our first responders and military members experience and how it can affect them through their own pain and loss.

We know - no one wants to be that person on their shift who can’t “handle it” and so we keep the tough stuff to ourselves. But it is not “whining” to have night after sleepless night over an incident you cannot forget, from the pain of someone’s incredible tragedy, or that abused face you see in your dreams; to emotionally cut yourself off from those around you even when wishing you could connect, to wanting only to be at work where people understand you through shared experiences, while avoiding your family. These are actually all survival mechanisms and normal reactions to the series of abnormal situations you find yourself in repeatedly.

But these actions do not help us recover, they hurt us even more.

How Trauma Affects Us.

Dealing with layers of traumatic experiences by pushing them down and biting the bullet can manifest itself externally in many ways. Gaining weight, fatigue, sudden bursts of anger and detachment, isolation. A loss of joy in your job or your friends and family, all which can result in divorce, reckless behavior, and anger/sadness. Sometimes outwardly everything may seem fine, but really, you’re just going through the motions. This can last a few days, a month, years. Perhaps these feelings are hidden until retirement or separation of service when your mind has time to start unpacking things you wish would stay hidden forever. The result can be a lack of connection, despair, and grieving a sense of purpose.

We get it. We have been there.

Join Us at Survivor of the Fittest.

At Survivor, we focus on action to support your strength. We are about physical and mental wellness through fitness and community. We believe in working together to increase focus on your own physical well-being and connection, so you can further connect to others. While we dive into a fitness jumpstart with our eight-week program shown below, we offer first responder and military community events to engage with each other outside the arena. In other words, let’s get you fit and let’s have some fun, together. Simple, basic beginnings to help relieve some isolation, improve self-care, and increase connective experiences.

Because, brother, sister - you are not alone.

Connect today and join our mailing list for fitness and wellness information as we gear up to debut our Battle-Tested Fitness Program in Summer 2022.