Every Monday and Thursday, senior Caleb Haseltine does his workout routine with his peers. Haseltine starts with a few miles of running, followed by laps in the pool, continues with push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups, and finishes with more running. It sounds like a routine any high school athletic team might follow.

However, Haseltine’s routine is far from ordinary; it is a drill from the Navy SEALs training program. Those miles he ran became grueling endurance tests, the swimming laps turned into survival drills, and the exercises pushed Haseltine well beyond his athletic limits.

Despite the intense training for being a part of the Navy SEALs, he has always kept one thought in the back of his mind: “You have to have a strong mentality,” Haseltine said, “because [the instructors] break you down to your lowest point.”

About a month and a half ago, Haseltine enrolled in this program early at 17 while still in high school. He was willing to take on the challenges that came along the way.

“[The SEALs program] is definitely a tight schedule, and it’s very difficult for me to keep track of everything,” Haseltine said. “You just got to be very dedicated to [the program] and just push through it.”

Initially, Haseltine started with the goal of becoming an aviation mechanic. However, he soon became more interested in being a part of the Navy SEALs as an opportunity to push himself.

“For being a mechanic, I just like working with my hands and being able to see how everything works,”  Haseltine said. “I wanted to work on planes, but with the SEAL side, I like the mental challenges it does to you. So I feel like [these challenges] improve myself.”

With the decision made on his career path, Haseltine began his application process by going through a recruiter’s office and choosing aviation maintenance as his placeholder job. He passed many checkups before being accepted into the Navy SEALs training program.

“When I was going up to MEPS, which is like your medical and physical test,” Haseltine said. “I made sure that I was fit and that I did not have any problems before [the doctors] checked me. Then, yesterday, I just received my contract in for the SEALs.”

After the approval to join the Navy SEALs training program, Haseltine was put through a baseline test on his first day to see where he was physically. He ran a mile and a half in 10 minutes and 10 seconds, swam 500 yards in 9 minutes and 10 seconds, and did 117 pushups, 56 sit-ups, and 16 chin-ups in each in one minute.  Haseltine said his performance makes him “feel good about himself.”

“I felt okay. I definitely can improve in my sit-ups and chin-ups, but I feel like I did well overall,” Haseltine said. “I honestly think I was most proud of my first day of training just seeing what I could do within those times.”

One of the hardest exercises of Haseltine’s training was the mental and physical challenges that came with trying to swim while his hands and feet were tied.

“Swimming with my feet and hands tied is a difficult thing for sure. I get tired really quick,” Haseltine said. “I got to manage [my strength] while trying to keep breathing. The water is cold too, so it doesn’t help. We get some kids that blackout in the pool, and I have to pick them out.”

Because of the rigorous nature of the Navy SEAL program, Haseltine’s family had mixed reactions when he first started training. However, as time went on, their thoughts on Haseltine’s journey changed.

“My mother was a bit iffy. My dad thought it was kind of cool,” Haseltine said. “All my siblings were a little worried, but with more and more training, they’ve definitely become more supportive of [my choice].”

“I learned that I got to push a little harder than I thought for some of these trainings,” Haseltine said. “Teamwork and leadership skills are definitely a big thing. Being a good leader will definitely help you strive through the program, but also being disciplined, working on yourself, and [reducing] your times down for physical activities will also help.”

As a student well into the Navy SEALs training programs, Haseltine sees it as an opportunity to enjoy being active, seek advice from new people, and work with others.

“The trainings are pretty fun, I believe,” Haseltine said. “A lot of swimming, a lot of running, a lot of obstacle courses, and just physical movements. Joining [the program] is surrounding me with a lot of good people. I definitely think that that’s a good thing to do. You don’t want to get surrounded by the wrong crowds.”

With some experience in training for the Navy SEALs, Haseltine has a feel for what his future may look like and is optimistic about his decision to join the SEALs.

“I plan to go in and serve my 20 years,” Haseltine said. “[The instructors] also have you certified as a firefighter, so, maybe I will do [a career] in that aspect afterward. I think training for the Navy SEALs is the best choice I have made.”