Valley cadets train for rigors of USAF Academy

MAT-SU — A pair of Colony High School graduates are training hard to prepare for admission to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Chad Speer and Keane Lucas, both 2010 graduates, are best friends and are among seven candidates statewide offered appointments. Another of those appointments is also from the Valley, Wasilla High School graduate Rachael Kennedy. The three will report to the academy in Colorado Springs on Thursday.

USAFA has a rigorous basic cadet training program that is a combination of physical stamina and mental strength. At 7,250 feet, the altitude change will be a challenge for these Valley students accustomed to sea level.

AT&T Sports Center trainer Krista Gray is putting Speer and Lucas through a unique program customized specifically to prepare them for the challenges they will face this summer. Gray knows how to get the most out of the students she coaches, pushing them to succeed beyond what even they thought they were capable of.

“It’s 90 percent mental,” Gray said. “Your body will do whatever your mind tells it to. The boys started out at 48 seconds per lap and are already at a consistent 32.”

The basic routine is a combination of weight training and cardiovascular conditioning with lots of running and quick weight reps in between. A 20-pound weight vest is used during intense 5-mile runs, but most days it’s a 3-mile endurance training pattern with one of the miles being very fast. On off days, she gives homework alternating between distance and speed.

The appointees are concluding their six-week training program at the sports center, and Gray brought in a special guest, Lt. Sherry Ferno of the Alaska Air National Guard and an Alaska State Trooper. Ferno surprised the cadets with some intense instruction and drills that closely mimic what Speer and Lucas will endure at the Air Force Academy. She also offered insight, knowledge and valuable information about the USAF.

When asked what they have improved on since training with Gray, the cadets replied in unison, “Everything.”

“Before a mile was hard, now it’s nothing,” Speer said. Although it’s easier now, Lucas admits that “five miles is still a workout.”

Krista Gray is a Master Trainer at AT&T Sports Center in Palmer. Contact her at 982-4955 or kgray@attsportscenter.com,