Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell recently completed the physical abilities fitness test required for graduation from the Raleigh Police Academy. Cowell decided to attempt the test after attending a police academy graduation ceremony where she saw both a young female recruit and an older graduate receive recognition for their achievements.
“At the ceremony, the academy staff awarded a female recruit in her 20s the ‘Physical Fitness Award’ as she was the top athlete of her class. There was also a graduate who was 50 plus, and he had passed the test. So, I do a lot of strength training, and I thought, well, why not work towards this test and trying it out?” said Cowell.
The Basic Law Enforcement Training fitness test is sanctioned by the State of North Carolina. It consists of two timed parts that include running, jumping, crawling, push-ups, dragging a 175-pound dummy, and rolling with a 100-pound bag.
“This test measures the officer’s ability to actually do the physical tasks that may be required on the street,” Sgt. Steven Helewski explained. “You don’t know what the call is going to entail. You may have to run. You may have to wrestle with someone. We don’t know what we are actually going to have to do on each call.”
Cowell said completing the challenge gave her greater respect for law enforcement personnel.
“To me, this shows how fit our police officers are,” Cowell said. “We have a lot of great officers. And this just helped me appreciate their preparedness for their role.”
