Physical fitness in law enforcement: follow the Yellow Brick Road.

Early on a cold, rainy morning, four veteran law enforcement officers faced a serious challenge to their physical and mental abilities as they waited to hear the clang of a bell. One officer thought, "If I bad any brains, I wouldn't be here." The second pondered, "I know I haven't got the heart for this." The third officer worried, "My courage will fail me," and the fourth kept saying to herself, "I wish I'd stayed home!" (1) What terrible fate awaited these highly experienced, streetwise officers? The Yellow Brick Road.

These officers illustrate what many attendees of the FBI National Academy (NA)(2) feel when they participate in the obstacle course and runs that comprise the FBI's Yellow Brick Road Fitness Challenge. Why do they subject themselves to such a task? Why do so many consider taking home their yellow brick as important as the academic skills, friendships, and professional contacts they garner while attending the NA? The varied and complex answers hinge on a quote from America's third president, Thomas Jefferson: "Exercise and recreation are as necessary as reading; I will say, rather, more necessary because health is worth more than learning."

Thomas Jefferson's peers described him as being well formed, indicating strength, activity, and robust health. He appeared strong, active, and in full possession of a sound mind. To this day, his firm belief in the importance of exercise inspires many officers through his words engraved on a bell left as a legacy from the 195th session of the NA. Law enforcement officers from around the world stop to reflect on these words before beginning a run at the FBI Academy.

For several decades, the FBI has trained law enforcement professionals and, in the process, has created a testament to the importance of physical, as well as mental, preparedness. Fitness and the FBI have become nearly synonymous not only because law enforcement officers must remain physically capable to perform their duties but also because exercise can help them combat the stress associated with the emotional pressure of their profession. However, "as an occupation, law enforcement holds the distinction of having the highest rate of heart disease, diabetes, and suicide out of 149 professions." (3) This unfortunate statistic belies the importance of physical fitness in the law enforcement profession. (4)

While most law enforcement agencies recognize the importance of physical fitness for their officers and encourage them to exercise and maintain an adequate level of fitness, many find it difficult to implement a fitness program. To this end, the FBI's program may provide agencies with an example that they can adapt for their personnel.

EXAMINING THE FBI'S FITNESS CHALLENGE

The FBI's Focus on Fitness program emphasizes cardiovascular and strength training. The agency tests its agents on their physical fitness and encourages them to maintain these fitness levels throughout their careers. Law enforcement officers who remain physically fit prove more readily able to cope with the day-to-day stress of the job and are better prepared to handle critical incidents. Realizing this, the FBI established the Focus on Fitness program to promote the health and wellness of its special agent population, which then led to the inclusion of the NA into the program and the development of the FBI Fitness Challenge.

History

In 1981, the FBI Academy implemented the Fitness Challenge. The Physical Training Unit (5) started the Challenge as part of a class for the NA. Only a handful of students showed up for the first few Challenges. They would meet at 5 p.m. in the gym and go for a run. Normally, these runs were longer than the runs that they had in their physical training classes. Eventually, the Challenge grew and became a combined effort of the National Academy Unit and the Physical Training Unit. It subsequently evolved into a structured series of seven physically challenging runs, culminating in the ultimate Yellow Brick Road endurance feat. The 154th session of the NA received the first yellow bricks, beginning a tradition that survives today. In fact, physical training (PT) instructors estimate that they have awarded over 14,000 yellow bricks to NA students who have completed the Challenge. These bricks, painted yellow and bearing the number of the NA session, serve as a vivid reminder of the recipient's success in overcomi ng physical, mental, and emotional challenges.

The Oz Connection

Why did the FBI go to Oz to find a name for part of its Fitness Challenge? Several years before the FBI became involved, the U.S. Marine Corps at Quantico, Virginia, designed a running course for its trainees. As a safety feature, painted yellow rocks showed runners the way through the wooded trail. Instructors told trainees to follow the yellow rocks along the way, and, soon, runners began calling the trail the "Yellow Brick Road." Over the years, participants coined names for some of the runs, such as the "Hump Run" and the "Belly of the Beast," based on the terrain. However, to maintain a cohesiveness, the FBI decided to name the runs in the Challenge after characters and events in The Wizard of Oz. (6)

The first run of the Challenge, Not in Kansas Anymore, consists of 1.8 miles and occurs only 2 weeks after the NA students arrive at the FBI Academy. It reminds them that they have started on a new adventure. The next run, the Tin Man Trot, winds through the woods for 2.6 miles, while the third run, the Gates of Oz, goes down a gravel road and then through the woods for 3.1 miles. The midpoint of the Challenge, the Cyclone, consists of 30 minutes of circuit training on the track. All of the NA students and PT instructors run for 30 minutes, stopping along the way to do crunches, push ups, and dips. The fifth run, the Lion's Leap, increases the miles to 3.4 and takes runners on the main road around the FBI Academy. Finally, the Munchkin Trail consists of a 4.2-mile run through the woods, while the Return to Oz, the last run before the Yellow Brick Road, is 5.2 miles and includes a hill that proves demanding even for seasoned runners. Gradual inclines on this seemingly endless trail make it very deceiving on th e return run to the academy.

During the Challenge, the NA students run in color groups according to their initial 1.5-mile run time that the PT instructors record at the beginning of training. The color groups--jet black, black, gold, red, green, blue, and silver--each run with their own color-coded flag and develop a special group comradery. Running groups prove motivational and helpful for many students. Some assume the role of leaders in their groups and help others along the way. All of the students work together to accomplish a common goal--a yellow brick, the symbol of their achievement.

NA students keep track of their own runs by initialing their log books in the gym after each run. Basing their performance on the honor system truly challenges those students who have less than stellar physical abilities. However, the PT instructors have found that the comradery that develops among the participants during such demanding activities creates an atmosphere of trust and integrity that no one dares to destroy.

The Yellow Brick Road

The Yellow Brick Road is the final test of the Fitness Challenge. Its wooded trails, 3 walls, 6 ropes, and 26 obstacles make it the ultimate challenge for everyone. Students either must run out to or back from the Yellow Brick Road for a total of 6.1 miles. Some runners opt to run both ways for a total of nearly 9.5 miles.

Once at the site, students face a bear trap, barbed wire, and numerous hills that wind through rough terrain. Running such a demanding course unites the students who help each other through the tough spots. They soon realize that it is not a one-person challenge but a team effort. Sometimes, students take a wrong turn and find themselves on an unsolicited tour of the Virginia countryside. PT instructors round them up and get them back on the correct trail. Climbing over walls, running across creeks, jumping through simulated windows, and scaling sheer rock faces with the help of ropes present physically demanding tasks for the runners, but belly crawling through a muddy trench reminds them that getting dirty actually can be fun. As the students make their way up the historical Yellow Brick Road, the main attraction on the course, they reflect on the markers left by prior NA session attendees. Everything from concrete lions to fire hydrants have found a home on this site and serve as memorials to those who con quered the Yellow Brick Road.

Next comes the most well-known obstacle--the cargo net made famous in the motion picture The Silence of the Lambs. Flipping over the top of the net, approximately 10 to 12 feet above the ground, offers a tough but exhilarating test for everyone. After accomplishing this, most students stop to take photographs, get a drink of water, and catch their breath before continuing the last three quarters of a mile, which includes a combat crawl under barbed wire in muddy water, to the finish line. As they reach the end of the hard-fought course, the students cheer, hug, and congratulate each other. The participants have survived a physical challenge and, in the process, learned some interesting lessons about themselves.

The Wizard's Lessons

PT instructors have received a great deal of feedback from NA students who have participated in the FBI Fitness Challenge. Most participants remarked on how the Challenge influenced their desire to maintain the level of fitness that they achieved while attending the NA. For example, one student from the 206th NA session said, "The fitness program has been one of the most challenging aspects of the NA. It has reawakened my realization of the importance of physical fitness. I did not think I could run as far as I have, nor did I think I could ever feel as well as I do." Another student from the same session stated, "I found that through regular exercise my stress level was reduced substantially and my energy level has been great."

Besides the physical improvement of their bodies, many participants stated that the teamwork and comradery that developed because of sharing a challenging experience proved more valuable. One student in the 206th session said, "The single most important thing that the Challenge did for me was to reemphasize teamwork. It's not that anyone was the fastest, slowest, finished first, or last, but that each goal was accomplished with teamwork and helping friends." Another remarked, "The program has allowed me the opportunity to develop relationships, relieve stress, keep focused academically, and build comradery with my classmates. Not enough can be said in regard to the benefits I have received." Finally, one student summed up his experience by saying, "The Yellow Brick Road is a mystery. We had all heard of it prior to our arrival. Its name epitomizes the completion of the FBI Fitness Challenge. Of course, there is more to the NA than the Yellow Brick Road, but it is unique in its mystique. It is surrounded with an aura that is symbolic of physical achievement, not ego or speed, just achievement."

Such statements reveal the true meaning and worth of physical challenges by showing participants far more about themselves than their mere physical endurance. The mental and emotional resolve they need to go beyond perceived limits and prove that they can succeed at a task they thought impossible reflects the true meaning of a challenge. However, many participants also have discovered the necessity of balancing their desire to achieve with their physical limitations. This may represent the most important lesson of all.

CREATING FITNESS PROGRAMS

In developing fitness programs, agencies should stress the idea of accomplishing each officer's personal best, not competing against others who are younger or have greater athletic abilities. This foundation must exist in physical fitness programs; otherwise, they become fraught with problems inherent in competitions. If agencies emphasize competing over teamwork, they will create atmospheres where officers push themselves beyond their limits, resulting in physical injuries and emotional traumas from competition-induced peer pressure.

Instead, agencies must ensure that their officers understand the importance of a team approach. A fitness program is not about the fastest runners. It is about the fastest runners completing the course and returning to the end to encourage the slowest ones to do their best--in essence, running twice to help their fellow officers. It is about all participants waiting at the finish line until the last one completes the event and cheering that person as heartily as the first. It is about going out in the rain, snow, or oppressive heat and continuing to train and improve. It is about transforming a group of individuals into a team, changing "I'll try" to "We'll try" and, ultimately, to "We did it."

This sense of accomplishing a difficult task as a team represents the fundamental aspect of the FBI's yellow brick--a token given in recognition of each participant's personal success and a reminder of those who helped that person attain it. Any item would work as well. By emphasizing cooperation, not competition, agencies can demonstrate to all of their officers, regardless of skill or age, that improving everyone's fitness level constitutes the goal that all personnel should work toward. No winners or losers should exist in a well-developed physical fitness program, just participants doing their best.

CONCLUSION

Today, everyone knows the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle. However, physical fitness for law enforcement officers is important not only for their personal well-being but also for their survival in a profession fraught with danger and high levels of stress. To help officers remain physically strong and mentally alert to perform their duties and protect their communities, law enforcement agencies should encourage their officers to exercise and maintain a healthy diet.

The FBI has long held that the physical fitness of law enforcement officers ranks equal with their mental preparedness. To this end, the FBI Academy offers its Fitness Challenge, including one course that has become nearly legendary over the past 20 years. The Yellow Brick Road may have begun in the imaginary land of Oz, but it has shown many law enforcement officers the way to a healthier lifestyle and, more important, a sense of pride in achieving a difficult goal through personal effort and teamwork. Just like the four officers at the beginning of this article, many felt beaten before they started. But, with the help of their friends and the wisdom gained from facing their fears, they discovered resources within themselves that even a wizard could not have provided. In short, they all found the brains, heart, and courage to achieve a much-sought-after goal and to return home with the knowledge that they did their best.

Endnotes

(1.) Any resemblance to the four characters (the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy) in L. Frank Baum's classic children's tale The Wizard of Oz is intentional and acknowledged by the author. The subtitle of this article came from the musical score of the film version, E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, We're Off to See the Wizard (New York, NY: Leo Feist, Inc., 1939).

(2.) The FBI hosts four 10-week sessions each year during which law enforcement executives from around the world come together to attend classes in various criminal justice subjects, including physical fitness.

(3.) Ronald J. Getz, "You Can't Afford Not to Have a Fitness Program," Law and Order, June 1990, 44-50.

(4.) For a comprehensive overview of the physical benefits of exercise, see Wayne Westcott, Strength Fitness (Dubuque, IA: Brown & Benchmark, 1995); Jack Wilmore and David Costill, Physiology of Sport and Exercise (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1999); Everett Aaberg, Resistance Training (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1999); and Kenneth Cooper, The Total Aerobics Program for Well-Being (New York, NY: Bantam/M. Evans & Co., Inc., 1983).

(5.) Due to organizational restructuring, the FBI Academy recently combined physical training with practical skill instruction to form the Operational Skills Unit. For clarity in the article, however, the author maintains the original title of the unit charged with providing physical training at the academy. She also gratefully acknowledges the assistance of all of the physical training staff members in the preparation of this article.

(6.) L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz (New York, NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 1956).

Ms. Ebling is a physical training instructor in the Operational Skills Unit at the FBI Academy.