The Army’s new combat fitness test is no walk in the park, but at least one soldier has it down.
Ryan Sowder of the 2112th Transportation Company out of Burlington, Ky., scored a near perfect 597 out of 600 points in the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), which stands as a new record.
The ACFT is designed to better prepared soldiers for the types of challenges they’ll be presented with in the line of duty.
Col. Joe Gardner, G3 Chief of Operations for the Kentucky National Guard, praised Sowder's performance in the AFCT. "The accomplishments of this young man cannot be overstated. SPC Sowder’s score on the new Army Combat Fitness Test is impressive, to say the least, especially after participating in his unit’s annual training leading up to the test," Gardner told Men’s Health.
Sowder said he surprised himself with how well he performed on the test.
"I didn’t think I would do as well as I did that day," he said. "I’d been sleeping on a cot and was out of my normal training routine for our unit’s summer training, but I just knew I was going to give it everything I had... The idea of giving all I have to something, particularly fitness, is really gratifying and I hope everyone can experience what it feels like to give 100 percent to something."
Sowder recently won the Crossfit Lowlands Throwdown, which qualifies him for the Reebok Crossfit Games in Madison, Wis., in August.
