SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Police Department is offering perspective cadets an inside look at the physical demands to make it through the police academy. From push-ups to a 1.5-mile run, men and women looking to make their way into the police force are testing their physicality.
- Training open to the public twice a week
- Classroom work and fitness evaluation required
Every Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 8 a.m., the public is invited to train for the San Antonio Police Academy.
"Everybody out here was trying their hardest and putting their work in," said Taylor Hosner, a potential cadet.
To make it through the academy, cadets must not only pass the rigorous classroom work, but also a physically draining fitness evaluation test. In the test, participants must undergo timed sit-ups, push-ups, a vertical jump, a 1.5 mile run, a 300-meter sprint, a 1-mile walk, and timed biking (for men).
The San Antonio Police Department's Fitness Evaluation Score Sheet (Spectrum News)
It's a volunteer-based free program aimed at sweating into perspective what the police academy is all about.
"It was a little gruesome," said Lauryn Johnson, a potential cadet. "It kind of gets you into perspective as in where you are."
For training instructors, this program allows contact early on with future cadets. Making sure each student is prepared before entering the academy is key.
"We want them to prepare physically because mentally, the academy is very challenging," said Tammy Ayala, one of the training instructors. "If we can help them get into the door already feeling confident physical-wise, then they’re already a step ahead of the game."
To learn more about the physical training sessions, you can go here.