U.S. Marine Corps’ most capable instructors competed for the title of Fittest Instructor during Training and Education Command’s 2025 Fittest Instructor Competition at Marine Corps Base Quantico, April 23-29.

The competition brought together the most physically fit instructors from across the Corps in a series of events while simultaneously evaluating their aptitude for leading Marines in mentally and physically demanding scenarios.

“We don't know what the battlefield will demand of us and that’s the intensity at which we have to conduct training,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas Gregson, the director of Marine Corps Center for Learning and Faculty Development. “It's the same principle that we used to build fitness instructors.”

Competitors were evaluated through a series of timed events including swimming, marksmanship, and endurance challenges, with an emphasis on resilience, technique, and leadership under stress. Participants also attended instructional sessions on aerobic capacity, coaching methods, and proper exercise techniques.

“Learn to squat. Learn to run. Learn to breathe,” said Gregson. “That’s what it actually takes—technique over weight.”

Maj. Roger Johnson, executive officer of Marine Corps Combat Support Schools at Camp Johnson, North Carolina, and winner of this year’s Fittest Instructor Competition emphasized mindset and experience over raw athleticism.

“I don’t believe I am the most fit,” said Johnson. “I believe that I have more experience and time spent in the zone of contemplation.”

He credits his success to the Marine Instructors who surround him.

“I've been surrounded by phenomenal Marines—fire breathers—who inspire me through their actions more than their words,” said Johnson. “It's just their consistent discipline, day in and day out, that pushes me.”

Johnson’s achievement reinforces the Marine Corps’ values of honor, courage, and commitment, driving home the idea that fitness is not just a requirement, but a reflection of a Marine’s will to fight and win.

“Coming here and learning from [the other competitors] is the truth behind winning this whole thing,” said Johnson. “It's about being surrounded by ferocious Marines—devil dogs—that I would go into battle with happily.”

Sgt. Thomas Johnson, a combat instructor at School of Infantry–East, placed second, followed by Staff Sgt. Theophilus Pilette, also a combat instructor at SOI–East, Camp Geiger, North Carolina. As these instructors return to their units, they bring with them renewed fitness knowledge and leadership insight.

The Marine Corps’ Fittest Instructor Competition provides a guiding post to the rest of the Corps, showcasing the physical and mental resilience required to lead Marines in today’s operational environments.

"We translate the idea of fitness directly to the competition on the battlefield,” said Gregson. “We don’t know what good enough is on the battlefield—we think we know [but we don’t]. We train to a rigorous standard so that we will be better prepared, so being able to test the known and unknown characteristics of combat and fitness is how we do it.”