LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Five members of the media from Louisville and Lexington put their athletic skills to the test Wednesday. It was part of a fitness test hosted by the FBI Louisville Field Office to spread the word of an upcoming recruiting event for female agents.
Meteorologist Kristin Walls represented Spectrum News 1 in the event.
The fitness test is comprised of sit ups, pushups, a 300-meter run and a 1.5-mile run. This is the same physical test given to FBI recruits, who are graded based on their performance. They must make a passing grade in order to complete the academy.
Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Louisville Field Office, says the FBI is always looking for “top notch people as our applicants” and this is the only test applicants are given the answers to ahead of time.
“We know everybody’s not the best athlete, but they have done tests to show that everybody with endurance and practice can pass this test,” Cohen said.
In order to apply to become an agent, you must be 23 years old, have a college degree and work experience. Cohen says anyone can reach out if they have questions about if they qualify.
“It’s really important to get women with the thought that they could actually be FBI agents,” Cohen said.
In March, the FBI joined the National 30x30 pledge, which aims to bring more women into policing. The goal of the initiative is to have 30% of officers in an agency be female by 2030.
According to Cohen, currently, 24% of FBI special agents are female. The number is slightly higher at the Louisville field office.
FBI Louisville will host its female agent recruiting event on August 23. Attendees will get the chance to hear directly from current female agents about their journey of joining the agency. To apply, you can reach out via email at louisvilleapplicants@fbi.gov.
By the way, of the five media members who participated in the fitness test, Spectrum News’ Walls scored the highest.