Chevy - "Becoming a police officer was always a dream of mine"

My name is Chevy Taylor I am 42 years old.  In December 2017, I needed some extra help with my training to meet the NZ police fitness requirements.  Becoming a police officer was always a dream of mine. Unfortunately, my fitness was below par as it had been a couple of years since I last played any sport.

To help me achieve the fitness requirements I invested in a personal trainer.  During my month with the first trainer I had felt we weren’t on the same page to meet my fitness abilities and health issues I was facing. There was some improvement but not at the speed that I needed it to happen.   

After a month I had decided that I needed a specialised trainer who specialised in running and strength as these two components were my weakest.  I used social media to see if anyone knew of a personal trainer who had experience in the area. Julie Mazur was tagged and highly recommended in the post.  Julie had contacted me and we connected straight away through emails. Julie came across genuine and caring. She understood the physical challenges I had to deal with, as well as the demanding timeframes required by NZ Police in their recruiting process.  Julie wanted to help, I needed her to help me. I knew what she was telling me was from her own experience as well as a huge knowledge in the fitness background.

Julie was very understanding she made it simple for me to work through my fitness.  We trained three times a week together, two strengths and one running session for 13 weeks.  Addition to the one on one sessions, Julie created a personalised programme to use at home for the other three days.  It was tough but she knew how to get the best out of me. Every training session I was physically and mentally pushed but never to a point where my health was at risk.  Running was my hardest obstacle because of a medical condition that only allows me to use 70% lung capacity. I was an elite athlete in my younger years. My condition was a part of my everyday life so I knew I could push myself physically to that level again.

Over the weeks I noticed a huge transformation in my body.  I was gaining muscle mass, I was stronger, I lost weight, I was running further and faster.  I was finally starting to believe I could get to my goals. Becoming a police woman was not just a dream it’s now becoming a reality. I couldn’t do one press up, I couldn’t run 1km when I started but within weeks I started to feel like an athlete again.   

April 2017 the fitness requirements for my age over 40-year-old was a run of 2.4km under 14.10 minutes.  Before I met Julie, I was lucky to run 2.4km under 19 minutes. The requirement for press ups was twenty or more.  At the start I couldn’t complete one. I was weak and very unfit. December 2017, NZ Police changed the fitness across the board for everyone.  The NZ Police introduced a point system instead. I had to gain points in the four components from the run, press ups, vertical jump and grip test.  The age limit was removed and I had a bigger challenge ahead of me. The run requirements were now 2.4km under 12.15 minutes, press up I had to complete and minimum of 15 to gain any points.  The grip strength and vertical jump I felt comfortable at passing by then.

5 April 2018 I sat my first rehearsal Physical Appraisal Test (PAT).  The practice test is to gauge your progress. You are given so many weeks to practice before your actual test which you need to pass.  My results were as follow my 2.4km 13.16 minutes (I need to lose just over a minute to pass), 14 widespan press ups (good technique as noted by the assessor, and need one more to reach 15 minimum), 47cm vertical jump (gained maximum points needed 40cm and over), 78 in grip test (gained maximum points needed 70 and over).  My results were amazing for me. I can now see the finish line. My goal wasn’t to pass my fitness in the practice test. My goal was to get my fitness to a level where I was close enough to pass in the coming weeks. I have eight weeks to complete my actual and I know now I will pass it with ease.

I cannot thank Julie enough.  Julie, you have given me so much hope in my life.  I believe fate has brought us together. You came into my life to help me realise that I could do this.  Being a mother and a wife, we tend to put ourselves last. Age is no barrier; health is no barrier. You have proved this to me.  In weeks to follow I will be sitting my actual (PAT). I know now I can comfortably take the test with confidence in myself. I know I can do this, you’ve given me the tools to cope and the fitness that was needed.  You will always share a special place in my heart, you have become a great friend that I will carry with me while on my journey of becoming a police officer and thereafter.

Always in my heart,

Chevy