A former Army reservist found her passion for strength training while making the leap to become a Marine officer, according to the U.S. Marine Corps.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jacqueline Sapitro discovered her knack for lifting weights after enlisting in the service and chased her love of the sport all the way to strongman competitions, which she now participates in regularly, according to a service release.
Sapitro began her career in the military as an Army reservist, but she “wanted to do more than what the reserves offered her,” according to the release, and eventually she transitioned out of the Army Reserve and into the Marine Corps, serving as an aviation maintenance technician.
Sapitro observed Marines training with weights and navigating through obstacle courses.
Soon, Sapitro joined in.
As her fitness goals grew, so too did her desire to lead Marines, according to the release.
“I wanted to be able to give back to the community and offer amazing opportunities,” Sapitro said.
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Sapitro experienced her own difficulties as an enlisted Marine, according to the release, so assisting other service members was particularly meaningful for her.
Becoming an officer seemed like the logical next step for Sapitro, who is currently a student in the Expeditionary Warfare School at Marine Corps University on Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Eventually, she accomplished her goal and became a Marine officer. And along the way, she found another calling.
One day, Sapitro was helping arrange weights for a competition when a coach noticed her lifting them effortlessly.
They told her she should compete.
It didn’t take long before she was researching how to sign up for strongman competitions, which allow athletes to showcase their strength through heavy-lifting exercises.
“Training was a guessing game for me at first, but everybody was really supportive and helping me out, giving me tips and tricks while I was trying to compete,” Sapitro said.
Sapitro now competes in strongman competitions, where she performs firetruck pulls, fire hose presses, and other difficult strength training exercises.
She credits the Marines who she first saw lifting weights for setting her on her path, as well as her mother for providing a support network.
“I’d like to advocate for and show Marines — not just officers but junior enlisted, too — that it is possible to do amazing things,” Sapitro said.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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