Innisfail resident Jayme Hendrick has been to hell and back.
Hendrick, an Innisfail volunteer firefighter and member of the City of Edmonton's fire department, has successfully completed a U.S. Navy SEAL training course that pushed him to the limits, both mentally and physically, and is alive to tell about it.
“For two weeks in May of 2013, I was in a U.S. Navy SEAL training course,” Hendrick said. “And I loved every bit of it.”
Hendrik, a captain with the Innisfail Fire Department, was searching online and discovered a civilian course, Extreme SEAL Experience, based in Chesapeake, Va. that prepared individuals for a career as a Navy SEAL. He was immediately interested and applied.
“When I worked at the Bowden penitentiary…,” Hendrick said. “…I was part of the emergency response teams, hostage teams, and riot squads and always had a burning question in my mind, ‘could I have actually cut it as a Navy SEAL?'”
He now had a chance to find out.
The first day was Hell, or “Hell Night”. Modelled after the Navy SEAL Hell Week, the first 24 hours was a gruelling fitness test that included pushups, pull-ups, running, paddling, performing log training (lifting telephone poles), hand-to-hand combat, and executing a demolition raid mission amongst other things.
“I was the 37-year-old guy amidst a whole bunch of 17- to 20-year-olds, yet some of the young men had a difficult time,” Hendrick said. “We lost three out of 16 guys the first half hour during the pushups it was so intense. The rest of the course was no easier, and incredibly physically demanding. “
Don Shipley, an ex-Navy SEAL and BUD/S trainer, developed the Extreme SEAL Experience to give young men and women a taste of what to expect during Navy SEAL training. Hendrick quickly found out that while his physical conditioning was good, his mental training was just as important.
“During many of the days, we were challenged well beyond our internal expectations. We were on a night operation and we had to do a map/compass mission after landing a Zodiac,” said Hendrick. “After a demanding day, we located the ‘target', which of course was a swimming pool.
“This was no vacation spot, but rather we had to jump into the pool and tread water until we could no longer stay up,” he added. “After 10 minutes, no one dropped out, so we were then handed a dummy rifle to hold above our heads and tread water. That was when guys dropped out.”
Hendrick developed a great respect for the Navy SEALs who trained intensely for six months.
“We had many actual Navy SEALs participate with us, whether it was teaching us weapons handling, sharpshooting, or marksmanship, or piloting the helicopters for the ‘drop',” Hendrick said. “At night, during the campfires, we were told stories of exactly what SEALs really do, and some missions they had been on that we would never expect.”
One of his most enduring memories is that of the ‘Monster Mash' that happened the last day of every week.
“I got to do two Monster Mash days, and it was intense,” said Hendrick. “The three- to four-hour PT (physical test) started with us jumping out of a helicopter into the river anywhere from 20 to 40 feet in the air, swimming to the shore, then starting the test.
“We had to run with a man on a stretcher, swim with a man on a stretcher, practise survival skills, and do some log PT. Log PT is tough, and we had to pick up telephone poles and lift them.”
For his efforts, Hendrick received a glowing letter of commendation and a certificate. In reality, he took home a lot more.
“This experience was incredible. I learned how mentally tough I could be,” said Hendrick. “When the going got tough, I kept on going.
“They told us, ‘it pays to be a winner', and it does. As a fireman, I am part of a team; SEALs are the same, part of a team. I found that due to my age and performance, I was able to mentor and teach the young guys that lesson. We were a team. I take that with me, whether it is in Innisfail or in Edmonton.”
After the experience, he learned one more thing. He could have done it, even 20 years ago.
“I've signed up for a 100-mile race,” Hendrick said. “There's no stopping me now.”
