JROTC in training mode; looking for sponsors | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

Interlachen Junior-Senior High JROTC cadet Whitney Champion works through a set of log flips to train for the team’s competition season.
Interlachen Junior-Senior High School JROTC cadets push through tire flip exercises to get ready for competition season that begins Sept. 24.
Cadet Summer Chase works to complete a set of log flips with the help of one of her fellow cadets.
Cadets flip tires in a series of training exercises meant to prepare them for competition season.
Positively Putnam FL

INTERLACHEN – A group of high schoolers spent their Thursday afternoon heaving tires, lifting logs and pumping out sit ups in an effort to raise money for competition season.

The cadets in the Interlachen Junior-Senior High School JROTC program willingly spent their time after school focusing on strengthening their bodies for competition season, the program’s senior army instructor, Lt. Col. Korey Brown, said.

“They are mentally and physically challenged,” he added. “Every day I think that there’s going to be one less coming out but they come out the next day and it’s just inspirational to me.”

Competition season for the JROTC students begins Sept. 24 and there will be four events through Nov. 19. Brown said the state qualifying event is on Nov. 19 and the Interlachen cadets are doing their best to qualify for state and/or nationals.

Right now, the students are in training mode and are working to raise money to be able to compete by setting some personal goals. Each student has an individual goal per exercise they complete and they can receive money per repetition they complete.

For example, one student’s goal could be 80 push-up repetitions and for each push-up they complete, they receive 10 cents. Each time a student flips a log, that is 75 cents per repetition and tire flips are 25 cents per flip, according to Brown. They also run the high school stadium and can receive $1 per complete run on the bleachers.

The cadets receive money by having people sponsor them per repetitions, and Brown said sponsors are still welcome. The whole trip, including registration and bus costs, will total $1,200, according to the instructor. People who would like to help sponsor the cadets can reach out to Brown via email at k3brown@my.putnamschools.org before Sept. 24.

The cadets said they have stepped up training from three days a week to four – working out after school Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Friday to get ready for competition season.

“I was in shape but I wasn’t able to do as much as I am now, so I’m happy I came out and started doing all this,” Battalion Commander Aiden McPhadden said.

By doing these exercises, the cadets said they can see which areas they might need to improve and what they need to focus on as a team.

“I’m out here to see everybody else improve, to improve myself, to watch the entire team grow and to watch the JROTC rise,” First Sgt. Johnathan Stephens said.

While the cadets work hard to improve themselves, Brown said their hard work inspires him.

He said, “They make me be better.”