My daughter, nearly 16 is thinking of joining the Navy as a chef. We have been along to the Careers and been given all the information, watched the video of the training weeks and viewed numerous websites. My daughters main concern (& mine) is she is not fit atall, how fit do you have to be. I have the information on the pre-fitness test and the end on the training test but some advice from someeone who has recently joined the navy or has done the first weeks training would be helpful. She knows shes going to have to get out there and get some sort of level of fitness before even handing in her application form. We asked at the careers what percentage drop out during the training and he couldn't answer this but said it's not usually through fitness but through homesickness.

Spotty dog,

Have a look here.  Sorry I can't do links

Joe

http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/5111.html

Joe! I showed you how to do links.....have you forgotten already :rolleyes:

liberty

I tried to do another one the other day and it all went wrong.  :(

http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/5111.html  :D  Thanks Liberty x

The last [link] should be [/link], Joe you're not blonde by any chance?? ;)

liberty :D

No - just thick :D

Already have all this info, I was hoping to hear from someone in the navy for "real" experience.

Hi not navy but Army experience but for all services you must be the correct weight for your height and many young people are now failing medicals for this reason. Our battle fitness test many years ago involved running 3 miles in 27 minutes for males or 2 miles in 22 minutes for females which is really a slow jog. I would start her running and get advice from the videos they send out now. If  she plays sport every week shell be on her way. Get fit before signing up as lack of fitness makes basic training miserable.

I left the Navy last year, but im sure the fitness level for a 16 yr old girl is to be able to complete a 1.5 mile run in 13 minutes 15 seconds. I was in a similar position when i joined 7 years ago in that i was just finishing sixth form and was very unfit. I would advise your daughter to do as i did and start an exercise routine that builds up to the fitness requirements(it took me about 5-6 weeks), and she should have no problem physically during basic training. You dont have to be superman/woman to pass out, and looking back the biggest problem for most people in my entry was getting up at half past five, and ironing their kit to A4 size(make sure you take a good iron), once you can do this it isnt to bad. I know that the physical tests happen very quickly in the first week, but people who dont pass initially get remedial training in the evening, hence hardly anyone failing training due to fitness. The Navy is good for people wanting either a career, or in my case, just some life experience before going on to university. I wish your daughter the very best of luck.

Nb77
Thanks for your reply, she knows her fitness is gonna be a problem if she doesn't do something about it, but she also knows her life isn't going to amount to much if she doesn't get out there and do something. Training has started as I type, shes jogging on the spot. Its frustrating for me as I'm a qualified personal trainer but she won't take advice from me. Teenagers know best. She is very independant and the hand washing of clothes and ironing won't bother her, lack of sleep might though.

Ahh spotty dog :) didn't you know parents don't know anything :rolleyes: we came out of the parent box - not the qualified box ;)  Do you have a trainer friend she might listen to??

My friends daughter joined the Airforce and the hardest thing for her was the noise on the base at night, she grew up in a really quiet rural area and just couldn't get to sleep at night because of the extra noise, she almost collapsed in the end through serious lack of sleep and had to drop out because it made her really ill.  Not sure if it would apply to your daughter, but if she needs real quiet in order to sleep at night, maybe getting used to noises now would help her to adjust.  Hope she gets in if its what she wants.